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kV/«iN:< 


kYMSiittrtia 


OF    THE 

JER  PRO 


KENT-SMITH 


Division     BSIS05" 
Section      **37 


THE  WORK  AND  TEACHINGS  OF  THE 
EARLIER  PROPHETS 


Reprinted  by  permission  from  Kent's  ki  Israel's  Historical  and  Biographical  Narratives. 


35°       Longitude    East       30'       from    Greenwich 


ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  AFTER  THE  DIVISION    OF 
THE  HEBREW  EMPIRE. 

Copyright,  igos,  by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


THE 

WORK  AND  TEACHINGS 

OF  THE 

EARLIER  PROPHETS 


BY 

CHARLES     FOSTER     KENT 

Woolsey  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature 
in  Yale  University 

AND 
ROBERT     SENECA     SMITH 

General  Secretary  of  the 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association 

of  Yale  University 


"  For  what  doth  Jehovah  require 
of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to 
love  kindness  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  thy  God." 


NEW    YORK 

THE      INTERNATIONAL     COMMITTEE      OF     THE 
YOUNG     MEN'S     CHRISTIAN     ASSOCIATIONS 

19  07 


Copyrighted,  1906,  by 
CHARLES   FOSTER  KENT 

AND 

ROBERT  SENECA  SMITH. 


PREFACE. 

The  Hebrew  prophets  are  unquestionabty  the  most  important 
figures  in  the  pre-Christian  religious  history  of  the  human  race. 
Through  their  work  and  teachings  they  were  God's  agents  in 
moulding  the  life  and  thoughts  of  their  own  age.  They  also  pow- 
erfully influenced  their  fellow  teachers,  the  priests,  sages  and 
psalmists  of  ancient  Israel  and  thus  left  their  imprint  upon  every 
page  of  the  Old  Testament.  Moreover,  they  were  the  immediate 
spiritual  forerunners  of  the  Divine  Teacher;  for  they  proclaimed 
many  of  the  great  religious  and  ethical  principles  which,  in  their 
perfected  and  more  personal  form,  are  the  central  teachings  of 
the  Gospel.  Hence  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  Hebrew 
prophets  is  the  open  door  to  the  understanding  of  both  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testaments.  And  yet  the  prophets  are,  on  the  whole, 
the  most  misunderstood  of  all  the  world's  great  leaders.  This 
widespread  popular  ignorance  is  chiefly  due  to  the  fact  that  they 
have  not  been  studied  in  the  light  of  the  significant  crises  and 
conditions  amid  which  they  lived  and  worked.  Each  prophet  has 
a  direct,  vital  message  from  God  to  the  present  age;  but  it  was 
first  proclaimed  in  the  language  and  historical  setting  of  his  own 
times. 

The  purpose  of  these  studies  is  to  enable  the  student  of  to-day 
to  become  personally  acquainted  with  these  inspired  prophets  of 
the  past.  Do  not  regard  them  as  relics  of  antiquity  whose  worth 
is  buried  with  their  bones.  Think  of  them  rather  as  living  men 
with  throbbing  hearts  and  tense  muscles.  You  cannot  hope  to 
know  them  unless  you  associate  with  them.  The  studies  have  been 
arranged  to  make  possible  a  daily  communion  with  them.  Aim  to 
dwell  with  these  prophets  each  day  and  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  environment  in  which  they  lived,  and  the  situations  which  they 
were  forced  to  face;  study  their  methods  of  work  and  their  habits 
of  thought  and  expression;  read  their  writings  aloud  until  their 
words  and  style  are  familiar;  picture  each  one  of  them  to  yourself 
in  imagination,  and  search  with  reverent  and  thoughtful  hearts 
for  the  great  eternal  principles  which  the  Divine  Father  was  con- 
tinually revealing  to  and  through  them.     Then  you  will  indeed 


PREFACE. 

feel  that  you  have  walked  and  talked  with  these  men  of  God,  and 
through  their  eyes  have  caught  clear  visions  of  His  just  and  gra- 
cious purpose. 

It  is  impossible  to  use  these  studies  apart  from  the  Bible.  The 
references  are  the  essential  part  of  each  day's  work;  the  subject 
matter  of  the  studies  is  intended  only  as  a  suggestive  guide  and 
commentary.  The  American  Revised  Version  of  the  Bible  is 
necessary,  as  the  references  are  based  upon  it.  The  other  refer- 
ence books  are  important,  and  their  frequent  use  will  illuminate 
the  matter  under  discussion. 

To  one  of  the  illustrious  modern  disciples  of  the  prophets, 
Professor  George  Adam  Smith,  D.  D.,  we  have  been  under  con- 
stant obligation,  both  for  his  method  of  treatment  and  his  illumi- 
nating interpretation,  found  in  his  commentaries  on  Isaiah  and  the 
Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  The  translations  incorporated  in 
the  text  are  from  Kent's  Students'  Old  Testament,  Vol.  Ill  (now 
in  preparation).  We  wish  to  express  our  gratitude  also  to  the 
Reverend  Morgan  Millar  of  Yale,  who  has  offered  many  valuable 
suggestions  and  corrections. 

C.  F.  K. 
R.  S.  S. 

Yale  University,  May  1906. 


VI 


CONTENTS. 

Study  I. — Work  of  the  Earliest  Prophets.  page 

The  Work  of  Moses l 

Deborah  and  Samuel 2 

The  Prophetic  Societies  and  the  Work  of  Gad  and  Nathan 3 

The  Effect  of  Foreign  Alliances  upon  Israel  and  the  Disruption  of 

the  Kingdom * 

The  Character  and  Work  of  Elijah 5 

The  Character  and  Work  of  Elisha 6 

Review  of  the  Work  of  the  Pioneer  Prophets 7 

Study  II. — Amos:   His  Environment  and  Character. 

The  Situation 8 

The  Situation  (Continued) 9 

Amos,  the  Man 1° 

Amos'  Problem  and  How  He  Solved  It 11 

Sins  Abroad 12 

Sins  at  Home 13 

Review  of  the  Week 1* 

Study  III. — Amos'  Arraignment  of  Israel. 

Amos'  Credentials 15 

The  Test  of  a  Nation's  Stability 16 

"  Yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  Me  " IT 

The  Possibility  of  Jehovah's  Mercy   18 

The  Impending  National  Disaster 19 

False  Political  Confidence 20 

The  Death  Sentence 21 

Study  IV. — Amos'  Visions  and  Teachings. 

The  Higher  Type  of  Prophetic  Visions 22 

The  Interpretation  and  Application  of  Amos'  Visions 23 

Inevitable  Judgment  about  to  Overtake  Israel 24 

Sin  Causes  Spiritual  Famine 25 

Vision  of  the  Smitten  Sanctuary  and  the  End  of  the  Nation 26 

Amos'  Conception  of  God 27 

Social  and  Moral  Teachings  of  Amos 28 

vii 


Study  V. — Hose  a:   Prophet  of  Love.  page 

The  Need  of  the  Hour 29 

The  Man  Hosea 30 

The  Domestic  Experiences  of  the  Prophet 31 

The  Domestic  Experiences  of  the  Prophet  (Continued) 32 

Hosea's  Call  to  Become  a  Prophet 33 

The  Relationship  between  Jehovah  and  Israel 31 

Israel's  Immediate  and  Distant  Future 35 

Study  VI. — A  People  in  Decay. 

The  Spirit  of  the  Times 35 

Jehovah's  Charges  against  Israel 37 

The  Baneful  Consequences  of  Criminal  Leadership 38 

Fickle  Repentance 39 

Social  and  Political  Decay 40 

"  The  corruption  that  is  through  lust " 41 

"Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap " 42 

Study  VII. — The  Sin  against  Love. 

The  Character  of  God 43 

The  Character  of  God  (Continued) 44 

The  Knowledge  of  God 45 

The  Lack  of  Repentance 45 

The  Fatal  Loss  of  the  Ability  to  Repent 47 

The  Responsibility  of  Love 48 

"  My  God  will  cast  them  away  " 49 

Study  VIII. — Isaiah's  Call  to  be  a  Prophet. 

The  Historical  Situation 50 

The  Vision  of  Jehovah 51 

"  Here  am  I!     Send  me" 62 

Isaiah's  Apprenticeship 53 

The  Seeds  of  National  Decay 51 

The  Vision  of  the  Restored  City 66 

The  Underlying  Principles. 56 

Study  IX. — Isaiah's  Social  Sermons. 

The  Social  Conditions  in  Judah  and  their  Causes 57 

The  Parable  of  the  Vineyard 58 

The  Fruits  of  Reckless  Selfishness 59 

The  Anger  of  the  Lord 60 

The  Fate  of  the  Lawless  Nation 61 

The  Later  Portrait  of  the  Perfect  King 62 

The  Ideal  King  and  Kingdom 63 

viii 


Study  X. — Isaiah's  Activity  in'  the  Crisis  of  737  B.C.  page 

The  Situation 61 

Isaiah's  Interview  with  Ahaz 6.5 

The  Sign  to  the  King 66 

Isaiah's  Predictions  regarding  Judah 67 

The  Loss  of  National  Enthusiasm 68 

Isaiah's  Pictorial  Sermons 69 

Isaiah's  Work  as  a  Statesman 70 

Study  XI. — The  Triumph  of  Isaiah's  Faith. 

The  Historical  Situation  in  701  B.C 71 

The  Hour  of  Jerusalem's  Visitation 72 

The  City  in  Despair 73 

The  Fall  of  the  City   74 

The  Last  Temptations  of  Faith 75 

The  Victory  through  Faith 76 

Isaiah's  Work  as  a  Prophet  of  Faith  in  God 77 

Study  XII. — Micah's  Reform  Sermons. 

The  Countryman  Prophet  of  Judah 79 

The  Common  Fate  Awaiting  Israel  and  Judah 80 

Might  Does  Not  Make  Right 81 

The  Greed  and  Guilt  of  Judah's  Leaders 82 

The  Climax  and  Effect  of  Micah's  Preaching 83 

The  Prophetic  Definition  of  Religion ...      84- 

Contrasting  Light  and  Shadow 85 

Study  XIII. — The  Character  of  the  Prophets. 

The  Early  Life  of  the  Prophets 87 

The  Call  of  the  Prophets 88 

The  Manner  in  which  the  Prophets  Learned  their  Message 89 

The  Qualifications  of  the  Prophets 90 

The  Methods  of  the  Prophets 91 

The  Aims  of  the  Prophets 92 

The  Eternal  Need  of  Prophets 93 


« 


STUDY    I.      WORK    OF    THE    EARLIEST    PROPHETS. 
First  Day.    The  Work  of  Moses. 

1.  When  the  forefathers  of  Israel  left  their  Semitic  kinsmen 
in  the  desert  and  migrated  to  Palestine,  and  later  to  Egypt,  it  is 
reasonably  certain  that  they  carried  with  them  an  inherited  store 
of  traditions,  customs  and  beliefs.  In  their  earliest  stories  we 
have  evidence  that  certain  customs  were  regarded  with  favor, 
others  with  disfavor.     Examine  Gen.  20:9;  29:26;  34:7;  37.22. 

2.  When  Moses  was  called  to  lead  this  people  out  of  its  Egyp- 
tian bondage,  his  task  was  primarily  the  development  of  beliefs 
and  customs  already  existing.  "Moses'  work,"  says  Cornill,  "does 
not  appear  as  something  absolutely  new,  but  as  a  supplement  to 
something  already  existing  among  the  people"  (Cornill,  Prophets 
of  Israel,  pp.  16-26). 

3.  But  Moses  was  far  superior  to  the  men  of  his  time;  and 
the  stories  that  have  been  preserved  in  the  Old  Testament  aid  in 
determining  the  basis  of  that  superiority.  What  experiences  led 
him  to  assume  his  great  responsibility?  Read  Ex.  2:12-15;  3:1-12. 
Two  factors  are  combined  in  Moses'  call;  cf.  3:6-8.  Study  in 
Ex.  4:10-12  the  effect  of  this  call  upon  Moses,  and  determine  the 
source  of  his  power.  If  your  heart  ever  aches  because  of  the  cry 
of  the  needy  or  the  despised,  and  your  eyes  behold  a  vision  of 
God's  infinite  love  and  tenderness,  put  the  two  together;  they  are 
God's  method  of  calling  you  to  His  service. 

4.  The  work  of  Moses  was  more  than  that  of  a  mere  lawgiver. 
The  different  forms  of  his  activity  are  described  in  the  following 
passages: 

(a)  Judge.  Ex.  18:13-16.  As  judge,  Moses  established 
principles  which  became  the  basis  of  later  laws,  (b)  Organizer. 
Ex.  18:17-26.  (c)  Statesman.  Ex.  4:29—5:3.  (d)  Interpreter 
of  the  oracle.  Ex.  33:7-11.  (e)  Prophet.  Hos.  12:13.  Com- 
pare also  Num.  12:6-8,  where  Moses  appears  as  the  noblest  type 
of  prophet. 

5.  The  work  of  Moses,  then,  was  the  deliverance  of  Israel 
from  its  Egyptian  bondage;  the  union  of  many  clans  into  a  single 
nation;  the  instruction  of  the  primitive  race  in  the  elementary 
principles  of  right  and  wrong ;  and  finally  the  placing  of  a  power- 
ful emphasis  upon  the  necessity  of  loyalty  to  Jehovah. 


I.     WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 
Second  Day.     Deborah  and  Samuel. 

1.  The  next  account  of  prophetic  activity  is  that  describing 
the  work  of  Deborah,  who  summons  and  leads  her  scattered,  de- 
jected countrymen  to  victory  over  the  Canaanites.  What  position 
did  she  hold  among  her  people?  See  Judg.  4:4-5;  5:7.  Read 
rapidly  Judg.  4 :6-24.  To  what  did  Deborah  owe  her  success  as  a 
leader.  Judg.  4:14;  5:12-13.  What  is  the  conception  of  the 
character  of  God  there  found?  Judg.  5:1-5,  31.  To  obtain  a 
clear  picture  of  her  courageous  faith  and  holy  enthusiasm,  read 
once  more  the  portions  of  the  war-song  which  commemorate  the 
victory  of  the  Israelites  over  the  Canaanites.  Judg.  5:1-13, 
19-27,  31.  For  a  new  translation,  cf.  Kent,  Origin  and  Perma- 
nent Value  of  the  Old  Testament,  pp.  91-93. 

2.  Samuel  was  a  man  of  God  who,  like  Deborah,  was  in  close 
touch  with  the  men  and  needs  of  his  age.  He  was,  under  Divine 
guidance,  searching  for  a  deliverer  to  lead  the  Hebrews  against 
their  oppressors,  the  Philistines.  In  the  young  Benjamite  chief- 
tain Saul,  he  recognized  the  natural  qualities  of  physical  strength, 
patriotism  and  courage,  which,  when  aroused,  fitted  him  to  be 
Israel's  savior.  Read  I  Sam.  9:25;  10:1,  noting  how  Samuel  en- 
deavored to  impress  Saul  with  the  fact  that  he,  Saul,  was  divinely 
called  to  undertake  a  great  task  for  the  people's  welfare.  As 
Moses  was  the  noble  instrument  by  which  the  Hebrew  nation  was 
brought  into  being,  in  like  manner  Samuel  was  the  great  patriot- 
prophet  who  at  the  critical  moment  called  the  Israelitish  kingdom 
into  existence  by  anointing  Saul. 

3.  Moses,  Deborah,  and  Samuel  each  made  clear  the  power  and 
purposes  of  God  to  their  countrymen.  They  saw  with  God-given 
insight  the  needs  of  their  day  and  the  way  such  needs  could  be 
met,  and,  above  all,  at  the  critical  moment  they  had  the  courage 
to  act.  Through  personal  effort  and  unselfish  devotion  to  human 
needs  and  the  light  which  God  gave  them  they  became  captains 
courageous  and  noble  leaders  of  their  fellows  from  slavery  to 
victory.  For  these  reasons,  their  own  and  later  generations  recog- 
nized them  as  true  prophets.  For  the  historical  setting  rend 
Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  I,  pp.  36-44,  74-78, 
113-122. 


I.     WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 

Third  Day.    The  Prophetic  Societies  and  the  Work  of  Gad 

and    Nathan. 

1.  Thus  far,  among  the  Hebrew  people,  the  prophet  has  ful- 
filled his  task  as  a  solitary  individual.  Now  a  new  order  appears, 
an  order  which,  as  early  as  the  time  of  Samuel,  is  inaugurated  by 
bands  of  men  animated  by  a  sort  of  contagious  religious  enthu- 
siasm. How  are  they  described  in  I  Sam.  10:5-13?  This  is  the 
first  reference  to  their  activity.  These  men  were  called  "Sons  of 
the  Prophets,"  not  because  their  fathers  were  actual  prophets,  but 
because  they  were  associated  with  certain  great  prophets. 

2.  This  manifestation  of  ecstatic  prophecy  came  at  the  time 
when  Israel's  patriotism  and  religious  feeling  were  aroused 
against  the  Philistines.  These  bands  of  prophets  were  ardent 
devotees  of  the  national  movement.  They  were  enthusiasts  for 
the  deliverance  of  their  nation.  The  terrible  Philistine  bondage 
under  which  Israel  was  living  explains,  no  doubt,  their  patriotic 
frenzy.  They  believed,  however,  that  deliverance  could  be  accom- 
plished one  way  only.  Read  I  Sam.  10:6;  I  Kings  22:5-6. 
Should  religion  and  patriotism  ever  be  separated? 

3.  These  bands  of  enthusiasts  continued  in  Israel  as  late  as 
the  time  of  Jeremiah,  but  they  were  on  a  far  lower  plane  than  the 
true  prophets.  Their  numbers  greatly  increased,  and,  dependent 
upon  charitable  gifts  for  livelihood,  they  often  prophesied  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  views  held  by  those  they  served.  For  the  con- 
tempt in  which  they  were  later  held,  cf.  Amos  7:14;  Micah  3:5-7. 

4.  Look  now  at  two  representatives  of  genuine  prophetism  in 
the  court  of  David:  Gad  and  Nathan,  men  who  dared  to  be  true 
to  their  convictions.  Read  the  account  of  Gad's  activity  in  I  Sam. 
22  :3-5.  What  part  did  he  play  in  the  national  crisis  described  in 
II  Sam.  24:15-25? 

5.  Recall  the  story  of  David's  adulterous  marriage  with  Bath- 
sheba  and  the  murder  of  her  husband  Uriah,  as  set  forth  in  II 
Sam.  11.     Then  read  II  Sam.  12:1-13,  noting  especially: 

(a)  Nathan's  tact.     Vss.  1-6. 

(b)  The  source  of  his  authority.     Vss.  7-11. 

(c)  Nathan's  courageous  denunciation  of  his  king.   Vss.  7-12. 

(d)  David's  penitence.     Vs.   13. 

What  is  the  prophet's  conception  of  God ;  of  the  duty  of  men  to 
God ;  of  the  duty  of  men  to  their  fellows  ?  What  relation  to  God 
does  Nathan  hold  ?  Read  again  vs.  1 3.  What  is  essential  before 
there  can  be  forgiveness?  How  far  is  this  early  prophetic  story 
in  keeping  with  the  principles  of  the  Old  Testament  law  raised 
by  Jesus  to  commanding  authority  in  Matt.  22 :34-40  ? 


I.    WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 

Fourth  Day.    The  Effect  of  Foreign  Alliances  Upon  Israel 

and  the  Disruption  of  the  Kingdom. 

1.  Under  the  moulding  influence  of  their  political  and  re- 
ligious leaders,  the  Hebrews  became,  at  length,  a  powerful  nation 
in  the  Canaanitish  world.  Although  the  tribes  struggled  each  with 
its  own  problems  and  sought  each  its  own  success,  they  were  finally- 
united  against  the  common  Philistine  foe  by  the  masterful  leader- 
ship of  Saul  and  David. 

2.  When  David  died,  Solomon  was  made  king.  Solomon 
lacked  his  father's  tactful  ability.  He  lacked,  also,  his  father's 
simplicity;  he  had  high  notions  as  to  absolutism,  kingly  magnifi- 
cence, and  the  like,  and  these  he  carried  out  at  the  cost  of  national 
unity.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  nation  the  northern  tribes  had 
been  separated  from  the  southern  by  geographical  barriers  and  by 
differences  of  disposition.  The  northern  tribes  surpassed,  in  in- 
fluence and  resources,  those  in  the  south  and  looked  upon  them 
with  little  favor.  When  Solomon,  disregarding  the  northern 
tribes  and  devoting  the  resources  they  paid  into  the  national 
treasury  to  the  adornment  of  his  temple  and  palaces  in  the  south, 
sought  to  establish  an  absolute  despotism,  they  developed  a  revo- 
lutionary spirit  which  after  his  death  (937  B.  C.)  resulted  in  the 
complete  disunion  of  the  Hebrew  people.  Hereafter  we  shall 
find  these  two  Hebrew  kingdoms,  Israel  on  the  north  and  Judah 
on  the  south,  engaged  in  a  desperate  struggle  for  national  exist- 
ence. 

3.  During  the  reign  of  Solomon  the  civilization  of  the  Hebrews 
was  materially  enriched  by  the  absorption  of  the  culture  and  ideals 
of  the  surrounding  nations.  But  this  tendency  toward  an  Oriental 
despotism  which  disregarded  the  rights  of  the  individual  was 
fraught  with  serious  dangers.  Solomon's  marriages  with  foreign 
wives  constituted  more  than  mere  political  alliances.  They  were 
religious  as  well.  He  was  compelled  to  recognize  the  gods  of  his 
allied  peoples  and  to  countenance  their  worship  in  his  own  domains. 

4.  What  is  Solomon's  policy  in  regard  to  foreign  gods?  Read 
I  Kings  11:1-8.  The  evidences  of  prophetic  activity  during  this 
period  of  disruption  are  meagre.  Determine  from  the  following 
references  the  prophetic  attitude  toward  the  tendency  to  Oriental- 
ism and  the  bearing  upon  this  of  the  revolution  under  Jeroboam; 
I  Kings  11:26-40;  12:21-24.  Consider  (1)  the  political,  (2)  the 
social,  and  (3)  the  religious  effects  of  the  division  of  the  Hebrew 
empire.  Cf.  Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II, 
pp.  24,  25. 


I.    WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 
Fifth  Day.    The  Character  and  Work  of  Elijah. 

1.  In  875  B.  C,  sixty  years  after  the  division  of  the  kingdom, 
Ahab  became  king  of  Israel.  An  able  and  .energetic  monarch,  he 
brought  together  the  Hebrew  kingdoms  in  a  united  struggle 
against  their  common  foes.  In  order  to  strengthen  the  important 
alliance  with  Tyre,  which  his  father  had  effected,  Ahab  married 
Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  an  ex-priest  of  Baal  who  had  made  him- 
self king  by  the  murder  of  his  former  master.  In  her  honor  Ahab 
erected  a  temple  to  Baal  at  his  capital  in  Samaria. 

2.  In  connection  with  Ahab's  reign  Elijah  appears.  He  has 
been  rightly  described  as  one  of  the  most  titanic  personages  of 
the  Old  Testament.  How  did  he  differ  from  the  ordinary  mem- 
bers of  the  prophetic  guilds?  What  name  is  given  him  in  I 
Kings   17:18-24?     In  whose  power  does  he  perform  his  tasks? 

I  Kings  18:1;  19:9-15. 

3.  Elijah  detected  two  dangerous  evils  in  Israel's  life.  One 
was  religious,  the  other  social.  Against  them  he  flung  himself 
with  all  the  strength  and  courage  that  God  had  given  him.  It 
was  in  such  supreme  efforts  that  the  true  greatness  of  Elijah 
became  manifest. 

4.  Read  rapidly  the  account  of  the  contest  on  Mount  Carmel 
in  I  Kings  18:17-40.  Note  especially  verses  18,  21.  What  is 
the  nature  of  Israel's  sin?  What  is  Elijah's  attitude  toward 
Baal  ?  What  toward  Jehovah  ?  Why  was  it  so  dangerous  for  the 
Hebrews  to  worship  foreign  gods  ?  Read  again  verses  36,  37.  The 
Hebrews  constantly  forgot  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  the  God 
whom  Moses  had  taught  them  to  serve.  The  greatness  of  the 
prophets  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  knew  God  and  were  able  to 
reveal  Him  as  Lord  and  Father;  and  this  even  when  the  eyes  of 
their  countrymen  were  befogged  by  indifference  and  by  the  sinful 
worship  of  other  gods. 

5.  The  other  evil  which  Elijah  attacked  in  Israel  is  described 
in  I  Kings  21:1-16.  It  was  despotic  disregard  of  the  individual 
citizen's  hereditary  right.  Read  I  Kings  21 :  17-20,  27.  Of  what 
two  sins  does  Elijah  accuse  Ahab  in  verse  19?  Was  there  not  a 
connection  between  these  abuses  of  worship  and  rulership  ?  What 
were  the  influences  that  made  the  patriotic  Ahab  a  relentless 
despot?  Are  such  evils  interrelated  in  our  modern  life?  Ahab 
was  at  heart  a  true  patriot,  but  for  the  sake  of  national  prestige 
and  personal  aggrandizement  he  sacrificed  the  noblest  religious, 
ethical  and  social  ideals  of  his  race.  His  success  spelled  ultimate 
ruin;  so  inevitably  does  the  success  of  any  man,  party  or  nation 
that  employs  unworthy  means  to  attain  even  desirable  ends. 


I.    WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 
Sixth  Day.     The  Character  and  Work  of  Elisha. 

1.  For  a  whole  lifetime  Elijah  struggled  for  pure  religion  and 
civic  righteousness.  He  achieved  neither  while  he  lived.  He  suc- 
ceeded, however,  in  impressing  his  principles  upon  some  of  his 
followers.  Read  II  Kings  2:7-14,  noting  especially  vss.  9,  13. 
Elisha  is  the  only  prophet  in  the  Bible  called  to  his  office  by 
another  prophet. 

2.  Elisha  differed  from  Elijah  in  personal  appearance,  in 
habits  of  life,  and  in  method  of  work.  Examine  II  Kings  2:23; 
I  Kings  19:19-21.  He  was  familiar  with  the  customs  of  city  and 
court  life.  "With  Elijah  were  associated  wonders  within  the 
realm  of  Nature.  Elisha,  on  the  other  hand,  was  always  found 
among  men,  healing  their  maladies,  cleansing  their  fountains,  and 
advising  king  and  subject.  The  one  used  denunciations,  the  other 
diplomacy." 

3.  History  has  recorded  two  special  fields  of  activity  in 
Elisha's  life.  He  is  known  as  a  miracle-worker;  he  is  also  known 
as  the  confidant  of  the  king  and  the  friend  of  the  people.  What 
characteristics  of  the  man  are  suggested  by  the  following  passages, 
and  what  motives  appear  to  have  prompted  them?  (a)  II  Kings 
4:1-7;  (b)  II  Kings  4:38-44;  (c)  II  Kings  4:8-37;  (d)  II  Kings 
5;  (e)  II  Kings  6:8-23. 

4.  Since  the  death  of  Ahab  there  had  been  no  real  change  in 
the  religious  policy  of  Israel;  the  worship  of  Baal  was  still  tol- 
erated; and  Jezebel  exercised  her  old  influence.  The  indignation 
of  the  people  called  for  her  destruction. 

5.  At  the  instigation  of  Elisha,  Jehu,  the  reckless,  fearless, 
crafty  captain  of  the  army,  was  anointed  king.  Read  I  Kings 
9:1-3.  He  was  a  leader  whose  taste  for  blood  was  not  satisfied 
until  the  entire  family  of  Ahab  and  all  who  sympathized  with  him 
were  slain.  The  result  of  this  bloody  revolution  was  the  extermi- 
nation of  Baal  worship ;  but  Israel  was  so  weakened  that  the  nation 
barely  maintained  its  existence  for  the  next  half  century.  Elijah's 
great  fight  against  Baalism  was  won  at  a  terrible  cost. 

6.  The  permanent  work  of  Elisha  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
that  which  made  the  greatest  external  impression  on  the  history  of 
the  nation.  Cf.  Hosea's  reference  to  Jehu's  act,  Hos.  1 :4. 
It  was  by  quiet  tenderness,  by  a  life  that  inspired  confidence  in 
friend  and  even  foe,  by  the  patriotism  that  made  Joash  say  of 
him  at  his  death,  "My  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and 
the  horsemen  thereof,"  that  Elisha  made  a  lasting  impression  on 
his  race. 


I.    WORK  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PROPHETS. 
Seventh  Day.   Review  of  the  Work  of  the  Pioneer  Prophets. 

1.  Review  briefly  the  studies  of  the  week  with  the  following 
questions  in  mind: 

(a)  What  specific  need  called  forth  each  of  these  early  Hebrew 
prophets  ? 

(b)  Where  did  they  get  their  message? 

(c)  What  was  their  vital  message  in  each  case? 

(d)  How  did  they  differ  from  other  men  of  their  generation? 

2.  We  are  prone  to  regard  the  Old  Testament  prophets  as 
men  of  a  nature  entirely  different  from  our  own,  men  who  were 
not  only  specially  called  by  God  but  also  endowed  in  a  peculiar 
and  unknowable  way  with  the  power  of  vision  and  power  for  ser- 
vice. Is  there  any  indication  in  the  lives  of  these  early  men  that 
they  were  at  first  different  from  their  fellows?  If  there  was  a 
difference,  was  it  due  to  their  inborn  capacity  to  see  and  to  serve? 
Were  they  ignorant  or  were  they  the  best  informed  men  of  their 
day  ?  Was  their  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  needs  of  their  day 
one  of  the  chief  factors  in  opening  their  eyes  to  the  divine  truth? 
Are  trying  national  and  individual  experiences  God's  way  of  pre- 
paring His  servants  to  receive  His  message?  Does  God  ever  fail 
to  give  spiritual  light  to  those  who  earnestly  and  persistently  seek 
it?  Cf.  Jesus'  promise  in  Matt.  5:6;  7:7,  8.  The  Hebrew 
prophet,  however,  was  called  not  merely  a  seer,  but  more  com- 
monly a  speaker,  or  God's  man.  What  other  qualities  besides  re- 
ceptivity did  he  therefore  require?  Are  men  with  the  spirit  and 
courage  of  the  Hebrew  prophets  needed  in  our  modern  life? 

REFERENCES. 

Cornill,  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  16-36.  G.  A.  Smith,  Booh  of 
the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chap.  2,  Section  2.  Men  of  the 
Bible  Series:  Moses,  His  Life  and  Times;  Elijah,  His  Life  and 
Times;  Samuel  and  Saul,  Their  Lives  and  Times.  Sanders  and 
Kent,  The  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  1-10.  Kent, 
History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  I,  pp.  36-44,  74-78,  113-122, 
196-206;  Vol.  II,  pp.  24,  25,  46-54,  61-69- 


STUDY      II.      AMOS:      HIS      ENVIRONMENT      AND 

CHARACTER. 

First  Day.    The  Situation. 

1.  The  Geographical  Setting.  Where  was  Amos'  home? 
Amos  1:1.  Consult  map.  Six  miles  south  of  Bethlehem  and 
twelve  miles  south  of  Jerusalem  lies  the  ruin-covered  hill  of  Tekoa, 
where,  nearly  twenty-seven  hundred  years  ago,  Amos  lived  and 
guarded  his  sheep.  From  its  top  he  looked  out  upon  a  dreary 
and  rugged  world.  Grey  limestone  hills  shut  out  the  view  of 
Jerusalem's  towers  on  the  north;  to  the  southeast,  down  a  long 
slope  ragged  with  rocks  and  withered  herbage,  stretched  the 
wilderness  of  Tekoa;  and  here  at  night  Amos  listened  to  the 
howling  of  the  wild  beasts  as  they  came  to  prey  upon  his  flocks. 
In  this  silent,  savage  world,  "where  life  is  reduced  to  poverty  and 
danger;  where  nature  starves  the  imagination,  but  excites  the 
faculties  of  perception  and  curiosity;  with  the  mountain  tops  and 
the  sunrise  in  his  face,  but  above  all  with  Jerusalem  so  near, — 
Amos  did  the  work  which  made  him  a  man,  heard  the  voice  of 
God  calling  him  to  be  a  prophet,  and  gathered  those  symbols  and 
figures  in  which  his  prophet's  message  still  reaches  us  with  so 
fresh  and  so  austere  an  air."  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve 
Prophets. 

2.  The  Historical  Setting.  Who  were  the  kings  of  Judah  and 
Israel  during  Amos'  period  of  activity?  Read  Amos  1:1.  Fol- 
lowing the  revolution  of  Jehu  in  842  B.  C,  what  great  national 
calamities  had  overtaken  Israel?  II  Kings  10:31-32;  13:1-3, 
7,  22.  For  a  half  century  the  Arameans,  under  the  leadership  of 
Hazael,  had  carried  on  a  successful  campaign  for  territorial 
aggrandizement  against  Israel,  and  a  season  of  famine  and  pesti- 
lence had  impoverished  the  latter's  resources.  Under  Joash  (Amos 
1 :1 ;  797-781  B.  C.)  began  the  era  of  prosperity  which  reached 
its  culmination  in  the  days  of  Amos.  Read  II  Kings  13:23-25; 
14:23,  25,  28.  Consult  the  chronological  chart.  Joash's  succes- 
sor, Jeroboam  II  (781-740  B.  C.)  took  advantage  of  the  turn  in 
affairs,  not  only  extending  greatly  the  boundaries  of  Israel,  but 
occupying  also  part  of  Damascus.  His  victorious  armies  brought 
back  rich  spoil,  and  by  treaty  he  opened  again  the  doors  of  com- 
merce. Glance  over  II  Chron.  26:1-15.  Uzziah  (782-751  B.  C.) 
similarly  strengthened  Judah.  He  pushed  out  to  the  Red  Sea, 
effectively  reorganized  his  army,  and  crushed  the  Philistines. 
Prosperity  and  peace  reigned  throughout  the  borders  of  both 
Israel  and  Judah;  the  generation  now  growing  up  witnessed  a 
repetition  of  the  golden  age  of  Solomon;  agriculture  flourished; 
literature  began  to  appear;  commerce  and  wealth  abounded.  But 
there  was  danger  ahead. 

8 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT    AND    CHARACTER. 
Second  Day.    The  Situation  (continued). 

1.  The  Political  Situation.  Only  the  men  of  most  penetrat- 
ing vision  detected  the  cloud  on  Israel's  horizon  that  betokened  the 
approaching  foe.  For  nearly  two  centuries  and  a  half  after 
1100  B.  C,  Assyria  had  left  Palestine  to  herself.  Resuming  the 
attack  in  870  B.  C,  Assurnacirpal  took  tribute  from  Tyre  and 
Sidon ;  and  by  the  middle  of  that  same  century  his  successor  had 
received  tribute  from  Jehu  and  had  pushed  his  conquests  as  far  as 
Damascus.  Here  Assyria's  progress  stopped  for  a  half  century. 
But  when  Tiglath-Pileser  III  came  to  the  throne  in  745  B.  C.  the 
former  policy  of  indifference  toward  Palestine  changed  to  one  of 
open  hostility  and  conquest.  Before  this  foe  Israel  dared  to 
stand.  Ignorant  of  Assyria's  real  strength,  lured  on  by  Egypt's 
vain  promises  of  help,  and  blindly  presuming  that  Jehovah  would 
never  deliver  His  people  into  the  hands  of  their  heathen  foes, 
Israel's  leaders'  were  confident  of  victory. 

2.  Conclusions  of  the  Prophets.  The  prophets,  however,  re- 
garded Assyria's  advance  in  a  very  different  way.  Cf.  Amos 
6:14;  Hos.  9:3-6.  They  saw  that  Israel's  defiant  crimes  not  only 
stayed  Jehovah's  protecting  hand,  but  completely  unfitted  the 
people  to  meet  the  crisis  that  was  impending. 

3.  The  Moral  and  Social  Conditions  in  Israel.  The  real  dis- 
ease which  the  prophets  discovered  was  deep  seated  in  the  nation's 
life.  What  individual  and  national  sins  are  attacked  in  the  fol- 
lowing passages :  Hos.  4:1,  2, 6-18;  8:14;  12:7;  Is.  9:8-12?  De- 
termine their  precise  character.  Prosperity  and  peace  followed  an 
age  of  subjection.  Through  commerce  Israel  had  multiplied  her 
points  of  contact  with  the  foreign  nations  from  which  she  derived 
her  material  civilization ;  but  with  the  wealth  and  refinement  thus 
gained  there  came  also  a  deterioration  of  her  moral  standards. 
Foreign  ideas  and  ideals  were  cherished.  Religion,  externally, 
took  on  the  form  of  Canaanitish  cults;  the  most  licentious  rites 
were  now  practised  in  the  sanctuaries  of  Jehovah.  Judges  were 
guilty  of  receiving  bribes;  the  rich,  intent  on  wealth,  forgot  the 
poor;  the  ruling  classes  neglected  their  responsibility;  might,  not 
right,  held  sway.  The  face  of  God  was  obscured  by  the  smoke 
and  blood  of  sacrifice,  and  a  dangerous  and  defiant  spirit  of  self- 
sufficiency  pervaded  the  national  life.  Like  many  another  nation 
or  individual,  Israel,  in  the  time  of  its  greatest  prosperity,  lost 
sight  of  God  and  its  responsibility  to  Him. 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT    AND    CHARACTER. 
Third  Day.    Amos,  the  Man. 

1.  What  facts  about  Amos'  life  and  character  may  be  inferred 
from  Amos  1 :1 ;  3:7,  8;  4:1 ;  7:14,  15?  'Amos/'  says  Cornill,  "is 
one  of  the  most  wonderful  appearances  in  the  history  of  the 
human  spirit.  Shepherd  of  his  stunted  sheep,  dresser  of  the 
sycamores,  man  of  the  wilderness,  communer  with  Nature  and 
with  his  God,  what  a  wonderful  spirit !" 

2.  Near  the  spot  where  Amos  lived  the  black  tents  of  the  Arabs 
to-day  dot  the  landscape.  "Sometimes  a  shepherd  is  seen  against 
the  sky,  as  he  stands  like  a  statue  on  a  pro j  ecting  rock,  wrapped  in 
his  sheepskin  jacket  and  armed  with  a  stout  club,  while  the  goats 
graze  about  him.  These  shepherds  are  tall  and  straight,  with 
bright  eyes  and  clearly  cut  features,  and  a  bearing  that  betrays  a 
consciousness  of  strength  bred  in  them  by  their  free  and  simple 
life."  (H.  G.  Mitchell;  Amos,  pp.  3,  4.)  Such  doubtless  was 
the  prophet  Amos.  A  shepherd,  inured  to  hardships  and  strong 
of  limb,  he  probably  visited  and  saw  with  his  own  eyes  the  cities 
and  lands  of  which  he  speaks.  Jerusalem  was  but  twelve  miles 
north  of  Tekoa,  and  Bethel,  with  its  sanctuary,  but  twenty-two. 
Here  gathered  every  year  at  the  annual  festivals  crowds  of  people 
from  other  lands,  Phoenicians,  Moabites  and  Arabs,  to  exchange 
their  wares  for  Israel's  products.  Imagine  Amos  talking  with 
them  and  learning  their  ideas  and  customs.  It  was  in  the  great 
school  of  observation  and  experience  that  he  received  his  education. 

3.  Amos  was  a  man  of  convictions.  Where  had  he  learned 
them?  Amos  3:3.  Note  the  figures  from  his  desert  life.  Insti- 
tutions hallowed  by  centuries  did  not  blind  his  vision  of  truth.  If 
they  had  lost  their  significance  or  practical  value  he  boldly 
attacked  them.  He  was  not  afraid  to  think  differently  from  his 
fellows.     Therefore  God  found  him  a  ready  messenger. 

4.  Amos  looked  squarely  at  the  facts.  Amos  5:21-23.  He 
did  not  play  with  theories.  What  he  spoke  about  he  knew,  and 
the  hatred  he  aroused  against  himself  in  Israel  was  due  to  the 
sting  of  truth.  He  did  not  present  theories  regarding  the  past  or 
the  glories  of  the  future.  He  drove  the  wedge  of  God's  judg- 
ment straight  to  the  core  of  Israel's  sin. 

5.  Amos  was  fearless.  Amos  2:6-8;  6:3-8;  7:12-17.  He  had 
martyr's  stuff  in  him.  With  the  whole  of  Israel  defying  and 
mocking  him,  this  shepherd-prophet  of  the  south  did  not  fear  to 
let  the  nation  see  itself  as  one  brave,  true  man  saw  it.  Are  there 
men  in  your  city  or  college  who  know  the  truth  and  dare  act?  Are 
you  one  of  them? 


10 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT   AND    CHARACTER. 
Fourth  Day.   Amos'  Problem  and  How  He  Solved  It. 

1.  Amos  leaves  the  simplicity  of  his  shepherd  life  in  Judah. 
He  has  seen  his  vision,  and  he  now  enters  Israel  to  proclaim  it. 
He  arises  at  some  great  religious  festival  at  Bethel  and  aims  his 
message  at  the  leaders  of  the  people.  Around  him  are  gathered 
curious  crowds,  arrayed  in  all  the  lavish  splendor  which  he  had 
come  to  denounce,  and  ready  to  participate  in  the  perverted  re- 
ligion which  he  had  come  to  destroy. 

2.  How  shall  he  win  their  attention?  Read  the  text  of  the 
book,  Amos  1 :2.  Reproduce  its  thought  in  your  own  words. 
"Jehovah  will  roar" — the  Hebrew  means  the  cry  of  the  lion  just 
as  it  springs  on  its  prey.  Universal  destruction  is  near  at  hand. 
Cf.  3:8;  Is.  31:4.  "Utter"  conveys  the  impression  of  rolling 
thunder.  On  the  storm-cloud  Jehovah  is  advancing.  "Pastures 
mourn"  when  the  vegetation  dries  up;  from  sheer  terror  the  very 
sap  ceases  to  flow.  Note  the  forcefulness  of  these  desert  figures. 
A  direct  arraignment  would  only  increase  the  people's  natural 
antagonism.  Cf.  Amos  1 :3,  6,  9,  11,  13 ;  2  :1,  4.  Amos  attacks  the 
sins  of  Israel's  neighboring  foes  one  after  another  and  pronounces 
their  doom  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  These  enemies  are  Israel's 
neighbors.  Their  sins  are  the  atrocities  of  barbarism,  massacre, 
and  sacrilege,  condemned  by  heathen  and  Israelite  alike. 

3.  Damascus.  Consult  map.  Express  in  your  own  language 
the  thought  of  Amos  1 :3-5.  These  Arameans,  the  best  organ- 
ized and  most  formidable  of  Israel's  neighbors,  had  been  exces- 
sively cruel  in  their  treatment  of  the  trans jordanic  Israelites. 
Note  the  formula  in  vs.  3.  "Because  of  three  crimes,  .  .  . 
yea,  because  of  four,  I  will  not  revoke  it."  Concrete  numbers  are 
given  for  the  sake  of  vividness.  Jehovah  at  first  forgives,  but 
finally  must  punish  cumulative  guilt.  "Threshing  instruments," — 
they  were  made  of  iron  and  studded  with  sharp  basalt  teeth. 
Verse  4  refers  to  the  cruelties  of  Hazael  (842-802  B.  C.)  when  he 
invaded  Gilead.  "House  of  Hazael"  is  probably  the  dynasty 
founded  by  him.  "Eden,"  verse  5,  was  perhaps  the  summer  resi- 
dence of  the  king  of  Damascus.  For  the  fulfillment  of  this  doom 
read  II  Kings,  16:9.  What  would  be  the  effect  of  these  threats 
against  Israel's  foes  upon  Amos'  hearers?  Like  the  prophet 
Nathan  reciting  the  story  of  the  poor  man's  ewe  lamb  before  the 
royal  culprit  David,  he  not  only  gained  the  attention  of  his  sus- 
picious hearers,  but  also  led  them  to  assent  unconsciously  to  the 
universal  principles  of  justice  and  mercy  which  he  bade  them 
forthwith  apply  to  themselves. 


11 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT    AND    CHARACTER. 
Fifth  Day.     Sins  Abroad. 

1.  The  Philistines.  Consult  map.  Amos  1 :6-8.  What  sin  is 
denounced  in  verse  6?  These  verses  apparently  refer  to  inhuman 
raids  for  commercial  purposes.  "Ashdod,"  vs.  8,  was  a  Philistine 
fortress  on  the  caravan  route  between  Gaza  and  Joppa.  Vs.  8, 
the  whole  Philistine  race  will  be  blotted  out.     Cf.  Zeph.  2:4,  7. 

2.  Tyre.  Amos  1:9-10.  Tyre  stands  for  the  Phoenicians  as 
Gaza  for  the  Philistines  in  vs.  6.  It  was  famous  for  its  com- 
merce and  artistic  products.  Read  II  Sam.  5:11.  The  Syrians 
are  accused  of  acting  as  agents  in  the  slave  trade.  Note  that  the 
writer  does  not  restrict  himself  to  the  wrongs  against  Israel;  he 
denounces  those  against  humanity  generally.  The  great  destruc- 
tion of  Tyre  came  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  when 
30,000  of  its  inhabitants  were  sold  into  slavery. 

3.  Edom.  Amos  1:11-12.  The  Edomites  were  a  powerful 
people  dwelling  south  of  the  Dead  Sea.  David  had  subdued  their 
land,  and  during  most  of  the  intervening  period  they  had  been 
subject  to  Judah.  "Brother,"  verse  11;  cf.  Deut.  23:7,  and  the 
stories  of  Jacob  and  Esau. 

4.  Ammon.  Amos  1:13-15.  The  Ammonites,  though  also 
reckoned  as  a  brother  nation,  were  less  civilized.  The  hideous 
practice  mentioned  in  verse  13  was  not  uncommon  in  that  day. 
Read  II  Kings  8:12;  Hos.  13:16.  The  Turks  have  been  guilty 
of  like  inhumanity  in  our  own  time.  "Rabbah,"  verse  14,  was 
their  capital  city. 

5.  Moab.  Read  Amos  2:1-3.  The  Moabites  were  a  wealthy 
and  prosperous  people.  The  greatest  reverence  was  paid  in 
ancient  times  to  the  tombs  of  the  dead ;  but  the  Moabites  not  only 
violated  the  sanctity  of  the  tomb,  they  burned  the  bones  of  the 
king  to  lime.  The  nation  is  pictured  as  dying  under  the  attack 
of  its  foes.  The  roar,  verse  2,  is  that  of  a  great  multitude — the 
conquerors,  evidently  the  Assyrians. 

6.  Judah.  Amos  2:4-5.  Of  what  sins  is  Judah  guilty?  Even 
Jerusalem,  the  capital  of  Amos'  own  country,  and  the  site  of 
Solomon's  far-famed  temple,  will  not  escape  destruction. 

7.  What  ends  has  Amos  attained  by  his  tactful  and  forcible  in- 
troduction? The  three  principles  thus  established  are  (1)  that 
all  nations  are  alike  accountable  for  their  acts  to  Jehovah;  (2) 
that  He  has  been  long  suffering,  but  will,  indeed  must,  punish  the 
deliberate  wrongdoer;  (3)  that  each  nation  is  responsible  in  direct 
proportion  to  its  opportunity  and  enlightenment.  Are  these  fun- 
damental truths  ever  lost  sight  of  by  the  disciples  of  the  prophets 
and  Jesus  to-day? 

12 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT    AND    CHARACTER. 
Sixth  Day.    Sins  at  Home. 

1.  The  Dramatic  Situation.  Amos  now  focuses  his  invective 
upon  the  people  whom  he  knows  to  the  very  heart.  In  the  measure 
that  their  civilization  is  the  more  highly  developed,  the  greater 
is  their  responsibility  and  the  more  exacting  the  standard  which 
he  applies.  Try  to  imagine  the  effect  of  his  sudden  transition 
upon  his  hearers,  as  they  now  hear  themselves  not  only  ranked 
with  those  whose  condemnation  they  had  commended  but  as  they 
are  execrated  for  sins  which  were  even  more  heinous. 

2.  The  Charges.  What  sin  is  attacked  in  Amos  2  :6  ?  Justice 
had  been  perverted  and  men  of  authority  had  sold  their  decisions 
for  bribes.  Again  and  again  prophets  have  attacked  this  sin,  not 
in  ancient  Israel  only  but  in  this  present  age  and  land.  It  is  the 
eternal  protest  of  the  man  of  conscience  against  the  unjust  "pull" 
of  money  and  influence.  The  first  clause  of  verse  7  probably 
read  originally,  "Trample  on  the  head  of  the  poor."  Has  it 
present-day  significance  ?  As  a  citizen  of  means  or  influence,  what 
is  your  attitude  toward  those  humble  servants  of  Jehovah  who  are 
not  financially  able  to  protect  themselves?  Are  your  sympathies 
with  your  own  class  or  with  those  who  most  need  your  help  ? 

3.  Hypocrisjr.  Read  verse  7,  last  clause.  Characterize  this 
charge.  This  sin  had  become  common  and  flagrant.  It  was  con- 
nected with  the  temple.  Read  verse  8.  The  garments  of  the 
poor,  taken  for  non-payment  of  debt,  should  have  been  returned 
to  their  owners  at  night.  Cf.  the  ancient  law  in  Ex.  22:26,  27- 
The  outer  garment  was  the  only  bed  the  poor  possessed.  "Every 
altar," — note  the  universality  of  the  sin.  Nothing  is  more  loath- 
some in  the  sight  of  man  or  God  than  immorality  under  the  hypo- 
critical guise  of  religion.     Read  Ps.  51 :6,  7- 

4.  Israel's  Ingratitude.  Who  is  Jehovah  who  demands  of  you, 
"Why  do  you  not  obey  me?  The  Amorites  were  a  mighty  na- 
tion, but  I  Jehovah,  destroyed  them  root  and  branch."  Read 
Amos  2 :9.  "I  brought  you  up  out  of  Egypt  and  gave  you  po- 
litical and  material  prosperity."  Read  Amos  2:10.  "I  provided 
for  your  spiritual  needs,  gave  you  prophets  to  preach  and  Nazir- 
ites,  holy  men,  to  live  pure  lives  as  object  lessons  before  you." 
Read  Amos  2:11.  Cf.  Num.  6:1-21.  "You  have  not  only  refused 
to  listen,  but  you  have  perverted  their  holy  living."  Read  Amos 
2:12.  Note  the  contrasts:  the  indifference  of  men  (verse  6),  and 
the  tenderness  of  God  (verse  10)  ;  the  suffocating  lust  of  the 
temple  (verses  7,  8),  and  the  healthful  open  air  of  the  woods 
(verse  9)  ;  the  refined  but  sinful  civilization  of  the  people,  and  the 
simplicity  and  devotion  of  the  Nazirites. 

13 


II.     AMOS:    HIS    ENVIRONMENT    AND    CHARACTER. 
Seventh  Day.     Review  of  the  Week. 

1.  Jehovah's  Condemnation.  Read  Amos  2:13-16.  Verse  13, 
"I  will  squeeze  you,  as  the  sheaves  squeeze  an  overloaded  cart." 
Verses  14-16  are  the  metaphors  of  war.  The  end  of  Israel  shall 
be  unseemly  flight.  Not  even  the  swift  nor  the  mighty  nor  the 
skilful  shall  be  able  to  resist,  but,  stripped  of  everything  for 
flight,  shall  flee  the  city.  "National  annihilation  awaits  you  at 
the  hand  of  Jehovah;  and  you,  O  Israel,  have  brought  it  on  your- 
selves." 

2.  Where  did  Amos  get  his  message  ?  His  book  contains  facts 
and  moral  principles.  He  gained  his  facts  from  history  and  from 
the  close  study  of  the  conditions  of  his  day;  his  convictions  came 
to  him  as  his  eyes  were  thus  opened  to  receive  God's  revelation; 
his  message  is  an  accurate  and  fearless  combination  of  facts  and 
convictions.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God."  The  man  who  has  had  his  eyes  opened  to  the  needs  of  his 
age,  and  to  perceive  God's  eternal  truth,  always  has  a  message  of 
supreme  importance.  For  only  thiough  such  a  man  can  God  re- 
veal to  humanity  His  loving  character  and  purpose. 

3.  Formulate  the  two  or  three  great  truths  which  underlie 
Amos  1:2 — 2:16.  What  two  popular  conceptions  of  his  day  did 
Amos  defy?  If  you  are  not  able  to  state  them,  read  Amos  3:1,  2; 
5:21-27. 

4.  Memorize  Ps.  51 :1 6-1 7. 

"For  Thou  delightest  not  in  sacrifice;  else  would  I  give  it; 
Thou  hast  no  pleasure  in  burnt  offering.  The  sacrifices  of  God 
are  a  broken  spirit.  A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  Thou 
wilt  not  despise." 

5-  "He  ventured  neck  or  nothing — heaven's  success 

Found  or  earth's  failure; 
'  Wilt  thou  trust  death  or  not  ? '     He  answered,  '  Yes, — 

Hence  with  life's  pale  lure  ! ' 

That  low  man  sees  a  little  thing  to  do, 

Sees  it  and  does  it; 

This  high  man,  with  a  great  thing  to  pursue, 

Dies  ere  he  knows  it. 

That  low  man  goes  on  adding  one  to  one, 

His  hundred's  soon  hit; 

This  high  man,  aiming  at  a  million, 

Misses  an  unit. 

That  has  the  world  here — should  he  need  the  next, 

Let  the  world  mind  him! 

This  throws  himself  on  God,  and  unperplexed 

Seeking  shall  find  him." 

Browning,  Grammarian's  Funeral. 

REFERENCES. 

Cornill,  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  37-46.  Sanders  and  Kent, 
Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  23-33.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book 
of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chap.  5,  Sections  1,  2  of  Chap.  6, 
Ch»n.  7.  14 


STUDY    III.     AMOS'   ARRAIGNMENT    OF   ISRAEL. 
First  Day.     Amos'  Credentials. 

1.  Amos  has  brought  a  capital  charge  against  Israel.  Now  he 
summons  her  before  the  bar  of  justice  and,  as  Jehovah's  spokes- 
man, announces  the  final  judgment.  He  is  not  content  merely 
to  include  Israel  in  the  general  verdict  against  her  neighbors. 
Why  does  he  give  her  a  separate  trial?  Study  III.  is  a  record  of 
the  case. 

2.  Read  Amos  3:1.  With  this  solemn  formula,  Amos  sum- 
mons Israel  before  the  bar  of  justice.  Jehovah  has  preferred  the 
charges  and  has  appointed  Amos  his  attorney  on  earth.  Amos' 
argument  proceeds  slowly  on  the  basis  of  responsibility.  Read 
and  memorize  verse  2.     This  verse  is  the  keynote  of  the  prophecy. 

3.  Reflect  on  your  own  environment.  In  what  sense  are  you 
responsible  if  you  have  been  specially  blessed  by  the  refinements 
of  home,  society  and  college  associations?  Recall  Jesus'  parable 
of  the  talents.  You  stand  before  God,  as  well  as  men,  for  just 
what  you  have  received.  The  vital  question  is  not  what  you  have ; 
but  how  you  have  improved  what  has  been  given  you. 

4.  Recall  from  Study  II.  that  Amos  is  standing  before  a 
people  of  wealth,  culture,  and  religious  zeal,  in  a  time  of  peace 
and  prosperity.  They  were  antagonistic  to  this  humble  Judean 
prophet.  It  took  courage  to  utter  the  doom  of  Israel;  and  it  is 
little  wonder  that  the  people  strike  back  with  the  question,  "Who 
are  you,  and  with  what  authority  do  you  speak?"  Note  Amos' 
strange  answer  in  3:3-8.  These  illustrations  are  taken  from  the 
shepherd  life  with  which  Amos  was  so  familiar.  Two  men  would 
hardly  meet  in  the  abandoned  desert  of  Tekoa  without  previous 
appointment.  Examine  each  of  these  desert  metaphors  and  de- 
termine what  common  truth  they  illustrate.  Amos  is  arguing  here 
from  effects  back  to  cause.  The  Hebrews,  like  other  ancient 
peoples,  connected  calamities  with  the  displeasure  of  the  Deity. 
They  took  no  account  of  secondary  causes. 

5.  Read  again  verses  7-8.  Note  the  tone  of  certainty  in  verse 
6.  "Shall  evil  befall  a  city  and  Jehovah  not  have  done  it?"  Cer- 
tainly not.  You  ask  who  I  am,  I  will  tell  you:  I  am  a  man  of 
God,  to  whom  Jehovah  hath  spoken:  therefore  I  cannot  be  silent." 

6.  A  man  who  sees  facts  not  through  other  men's  eyes  but  as 
God  sees  them,  and  therefore  as  they  really  are,  the  man  who  re- 
sponds courageously  to  the  divine  call  and  declares  by  word  and 
act  his  convictions,  is  the  most  dynamically  potent  factor  in  human 
society.  It  matters  not  whether  he  comes  from  a  shepherd's  hut 
or  a  palace.  He  is  God's  man,  and  therefore  resistless.  Indi- 
vidual and  corporate  injustice,  hypocrisy  and  immorality  cannot 
stand  before  him. 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Second  Day.     The  Test  of  a  Nation's  Stability. 

1.  "Not  only  is  Israel's  responsibility  greater  than  that  of 
other  peoples.  Her  crimes  themselves  are  more  heinous."  G.  A. 
Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  The  heathen,  even  the 
nobles  of  Ashdod  and  Egypt,  are  invited  to  judge  the  moral  condi- 
tion of  Samaria.  Read  Amos  3:9-10.  What  particular  sins  are 
mentioned?  (Verse  10).  "Violence  and  robbery" — the  nobles 
store  up  wealth  secured  by  oppression  of  the  poor. 

2.  In  the  presence  of  these  heathen  witnesses,  Amos  condemns 
Israel  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Complete  destruction  is  impend- 
ing. Read  Amos  3:11-12.  Note  the  desert  figure  in  verse  12. 
This  comparison  with  the  shepherd  shows  both  the  scant  numbers 
and  the  shattered  condition  of  the  survivors  after  Jehovah's  judg- 
ment has  been  executed.  Amos'  supreme  contempt  for  idleness 
and  luxury  is  shown  in  verse  1 2b. 

3.  Read  Amos  3:13-15.  Bethel  (verse  14),  about  ten  miles 
north  of  Jerusalem,  was  Israel's  chief  sanctuary.  Under  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  king  (Amos  7:13),  it  was  the  most  popular  sanc- 
tuary of  the  northern  kingdom,  and  was  crowded  with  worship- 
pers (Amos  9:1).  For  its  destruction  by  the  army  of  Josiah  read 
II  Kings  23:15.  The  "horns  of  the  altar,"  symbols  of  strength, 
conferred  safety  on  those  who  took  hold  of  them. 

4.  Read  Amos  4:1-3.  "It  is  a  cowherd's  rough  picture  of 
women;  a  troop  of  kine — heavy,  heedless  animals,  trampling  in 
their  anxiety  for  food  upon  every  frail  and  lowly  object  in  the 
way."  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  Why  is  the 
prophet's  condemnation  of  the  women  so  severe?  Read  again 
the  last  half  of  Amos  4:1.  Think  of  calling  the  society  women 
of  Israel  the  "cows  of  Bashan !"  Bashan  was  a  fertile  region 
east  of  the  Jordan.    Note  the  picture  of  their  headlong  flight. 

5.  "The  prophets  insist  that  it  is  a  moral  question  upon  which 
the  fate  of  a  civilization  is  decided.  Is  justice  observed  in  es- 
sence as  well  as  form?  Is  there  freedom  or  is  the  prophet 
silenced?  Does  luxury  or  self-denial  prevail?  Do  the  rich  make 
life  hard  for  the  poor?  Is  childhood  sheltered  and  innocence  re- 
si3ected  ?  By  these,  claim  the  prophets,  a  nation  stands  or  falls ; 
and  history  has  proven  the  claim  on  wider  worlds  than  they  dreamt 
of."  Regardless  of  civilization  "nothing  is  too  costly  for  God's 
justice."    G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 


16 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Third  Day.     "Yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  Me." 

1.  Amos  now  attacks  Israel's  religion.  That  religion  was  a 
worship  of  Jehovah,  but  was  expressed  in  mere  ceremonialism. 
"Your  zeal  is  false/'  he  seems  to  say,  "and  your  religion  a  delu- 
sion." Read  Amos  4:4-5.  Amos  summons  the  people  to  their 
worship.  Note  the  sarcasm  in  his  invitation.  Bethel,  see  Second 
Day,  3.  Gilgal  was  a  representative  sanctuary.  "Bring  your 
tithes  every  morning" — they  were  usually  brought  once  a  year. 
"Publish  abroad  your  free  will  offerings,"  i.  e.,  those  offerings 
which  you  make  spontaneously.     Read  Matt.  6:2. 

2.  Unheeded  Chastisements.  Amos  4:6-11.  (a)  Famine. 
Read  verse  6  carefully.  Note  the  contrast  between  "I,"  the  living 
God,  and  the  faithless,  dying  people.  There  is  a  pathos  in  the 
repeated  refrain,  "yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  Me."  Jehovah 
could  have  saved  Israel,  but  she  would  not  come  unto  Him.  What 
is  it  to  "come  to  God"  in  the  sense  which  Amos  intended?  Ob- 
serve how  he  later  interprets  his  meaning,  (b)  Read  verses  7-8. 
Drought.  "Three  months  before  harvest,"  if  rain  did  not  come, 
the  crop  would  perish  before  it  could  ripen.  Verse  8.  Cities  in 
the  East  are  dependent  for  water  on  underground  cisterns.  Amos 
pictures  a  city,  its  water  supply  exhausted,  staggering,  faint 
from  thirst,  to  a  neighboring  city  for  water,  (c)  Blasting  and 
Mildew.  Read  vs.  9-  This  was  caused  by  the  east  wind  or 
sirocco,  (d)  Read  vs.  10.  Pestilence  and  Sword.  Read  Ps. 
91 :3-6.  "The  boil  of  Egypt"  is  a  common  expression.  See  Ex. 
9:8-10.  (e)  Read  vs.  11.  Earthquake.  This  is  the  most  mys- 
terious of  the  manifestations  of  the  Deity's  wrath. 

3.  Five  times  Amos  has  issued  his  call  to  repentance,  and 
Israel  makes  no  answer.  Read  vss.  12-13.  Does  he  name  the 
calamity  ?     What  attributes  does  he  ascribe  to  Jehovah  ? 

4.  This  section,  like  Amos  2:6-12,  is  a  study  in  contrast;  be- 
tween "men's  treatment  of  God  and  God's  treatment  of  men. 
They  lavish  on  him  gifts  and  sacrifices.  He  sends  upon  them 
calamities.  They  regard  Him  as  a  being  only  to  be  flattered  and 
fed.  He  regards  them  as  creatures  with  characters  to  discipline. 
Their  views  of  Him,  if  religious,  are  sensuous  and  gross;  His 
views  of  them,  if  austere,  are  moral  and  ennobling."  G.  A. 
Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

5.  In  what  does  your  religion  consist?  Are  you  content  with 
merely  attending  religious  services  ?  Are  you  in  personal  touch 
with  our  Heavenly  Father?  Is  Christ's  spirit  dominant  in  your 
life?  Have  you  tasted  the  joy  of  personally  helping  men  in  dis- 
tress and  ignorance  and  sin? 

17 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Fourth  Day.    The  Possibility  of  Jehovah's  Mercy. 

1.  Thus  far,  Amos  has  appeared  as  a  prophet  of  divine  wrath. 
He  has  proclaimed  the  inevitable  destruction  awaiting  Israel, 
for  she  has  repeatedly  and  defiantly  sinned  against  Jehovah  and 
there  is  no  escape  from  punishment.  But  in  this  section  the  tone 
changes  from  vengeance  (cf.  Amos  4:12-13)  to  one  of  yearning 
love. 

2.  It  opens  with  an  elegy  over  the  death  of  Israel.  Read 
Amos  5:1-3.     Note  the  pathos  and  beauty  in  vs.  2: 

"  Fallen  never  again  to  rise, 
Is  the  virgin  Israel 
Prostrate  upon  her  soil  she  lies; 
There  is  none  to  raise  her." 

The  nation  is  personified  as  a  beautiful  maiden,  wounded  and 
helpless  in  the  mire,  with  no  strong,  loving  friend  to  help.     Note 
e  numerical  estimate  of  the  disaster  in  vs.  3. 

3.  Read  Amos  5  :4-9.  Jehovah  pleads  with  Israel.  Although 
she  has  not  returned  unto  Him,  still  He  entreats  her  once  more. 
It  is  the  voice  of  the  loving  Father  that  we  hear.  "Seek  Me," 
come  back,  learn  My  will,  do  what  is  good,  perform  the  things 
that  are  pleasing  to  Me.  Be  once  more  My  child.  What  is  the 
warning  in  vs.  5  ?  The  names  of  the  famous  sanctuaries  are  made 
to  suggest  the  impending  doom.  With  vs.  6b  the  prophet  seems 
overcome  once  more  by  Jehovah's  power  and  majesty.  He 
again  describes  the  dangers  of  resistance  to  this  entreaty.  To  His 
invitation,  Israel  has  made  no  answer.  Read  again  vs.  7.  Je- 
hovah demands  righteousness.  Determine  from  this  verse  what 
His  people  give  Him.  Note  in  vss.  8-9  the  attributes  of  Jehovah's 
power.  What  is  the  logical  connection  of  these  majestic  verses 
with  the  preceding? 

4.  Amos  again  takes  up  the  theme  of  vs.  7.  Read  vs.  10. 
"The  gate," — there  justice  was  administered.  Read  vs.  11.  The 
oppressors  of  the  poor  shall  themselves  be  oppressed.  Read  vs. 
12.  The  "bribe"  was  ransom  money  paid  for  the  release  of  a 
criminal  condemned  to  death.  This  was  contrary  to  Israelitish 
law.  Num.  35:31.  Read  vs.  13.  What  forms  of  bribery  are  still 
practised  in  our  modern  commercial  and  political  life?  Why  are 
they  so  fatally  pernicious?  Is  bribery  of  a  public  official  essen- 
tially treason? 

5.  Read  vss.  14,  15.  This  is  Jehovah's  final  appeal.  He 
does  not  demand  ceremonials,  but  life  and  deeds.  Memorize  vs. 
14.  In  vs.  15b  appears  that  first  idea  of  a  remnant,  a  faithful 
few  who  will  be  saved,  which  was  the  hope  of  later  prophets.  Cf . 
Is.  11:11. 

18 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Impending  National  Disaster. 

1.  In  response  to  Jehovah's  second  entreaty,  Israel  makes  no 
answer.  Amos  immediately  sounds  her  death  knell  with  5:16; 
6:14.  Read  5:16-17.  The  "skilful  in  lamentation"  were  hired 
mourners  who  assisted  at  funerals.  Note  the  universality  of  the 
lamentation. 

2.  Read  vss.  18-20.  Jehovah's  Day  meant  to  the  Israelite 
the  day  of  His  triumph  over  His  enemies,  and  of  His  judgment  of 
the  heathen.  To  Amos,  conscious  of  Israel's  guilt,  it  is  a  day  of 
"insidious,  importunate,  inevitable  death." 

3.  What  in  Israel's  worship  did  Jehovah  so  thoroughly  de- 
spise, and  why?  Read  vss.  21-24.  Note  the  majestic  swing  of 
these  verses.  What  does  Amos  declare  to  be  the  essence  of  true 
worship  ?  As  a  result  of  your  life  and  thought,  does  righteousness 
go  forth  as  an  ever-flowing  stream? 

4.  Read  vss.  25-27.  Amos  appeals  to  the  days  of  simplicity 
when  Jehovah  seemed  especially  close  to  His  people;  the  days 
when  they  put  their  trust  in  Him.  They  offered  Him  no  feasts 
or  offerings  then.  Propitiatory  bribes  shall  not  avail  to  save  you 
from  captivity. 

5.  Does  the  "Day  of  Jehovah"  mean  a  single  day  or  a  gradual 
development?  From  your  knowledge  of  history,  can  you  not 
trace  a  progress  in  God's  dealings  with  His  people,  from  His 
earliest  revelations  to  that  supreme  revelation  in  Christ?  What 
was  Jesus'  teaching  concerning  His  Kingdom  and  Himself  as  its 
Head?  Mark  4:28.  He  refused  to  follow  that  popular  Jewish 
conception  of  a  Messiah  of  political  or  temporal  power.  The 
Kingdom  which  he  proclaimed  was  in  the  hearts  of  men.  Did 
he  teach  that  this  was  a  growth? 

6.  You  have  a  part  in  the  "Day  of  Jehovah."  You  are  respon- 
sible in  the  society  in  which  you  live  for  faithfulness  to  your  trust. 
Whether  you  have  the  spirit  of  Christ  or  not,  as  a  citizen  of  a 
Christian  nation  you  have  a  share  in  the  world's  work.  If  you 
are  untrue  to  your  trust,  the  work  assigned  to  you  will  never  be 
done.  You  have  the  ability,  as  no  one  else  has,  to  complete  fully 
the  task  assigned  to  you  in  your  special  environment. 


19 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Sixth  Day.     False  Political  Confidence. 

1.  Amos  passes  from  the  false  idea  of  worship  to  Israel's  un- 
warranted confidence  in  her  own  security.  He  introduces  us  to 
a  scene  of  blase  contentment.  The  political  leaders  of  the  leading 
nation  of  the  world  have  become  irresponsible  voluptuaries.  They 
have  forgotten  kindness,  sympathy  and  love. 

2.  Carefully  read  Amos  6:1-6.  Determine  the  guilt  of  the 
"notable  men."  Vs.  1.  "At  ease," — recklessly  at  ease  with  no 
thought  of  impending  danger.  "Notable  men"  are  the  back-bone 
of  the  nation;  to  them  the  people  go  to  have  justice  administered. 
Vs.  2.  Though  this  verse  is  differently  explained,  its  probable 
meaning  is  this :  Can  you  find,  from  Calneh  in  Babylonia  and 
Hamath  in  North  Syria,  to  Gath  of  the  Philistines  on  the  South, 
a  single  kingdom  more  flourishing  than  your  own?  Thus  has  Je- 
hovah blessed  you,  and  how  do  you  requite  Him?  "The  evil  day," 
Vs.  8.  They  feel  secure  against  the  coming  disaster,  yet  prepare 
in  their  midst  a  place  where  violence  may  be  enthroned.  Vs.  4, 
i.  e.,  lie  on  beds  of  luxury  and  eat  the  choicest  meats.  Vs.  5, 
"prattle  idle  songs."  David  enjoyed  a  national  reputation  as  a 
musician.  Read  I  Sam.  16:18.  Vs.  6.  Note  the  gluttony  ex- 
pressed by  "bowls."  But  the  climax  of  their  crime  is  that  they 
do  not  care  for  the  poverty  and  misery  and  wrongs  of  the  poor. 

3.  The  sins  mentioned  are  the  sins  of  selfishness.  Self-indul- 
gence carried  to  such  extremes  always  leads  to  social  indifference. 
Instead  of  helping  to  lift  the  load  of  humanity's  ills,  they  have 
added  the  burden  of  their  own  indifference.  What  is  your  atti- 
tude toward  questions  of  social  reform?  Are  you  like  that  "pru- 
dent man  who  keeps  silence  in  such  a  time"  (5:13)  for  fear  of 
criticism  and  unpleasant  publicity,  or  do  you  dare  stand?  As  a 
member  of  a  college  community,  what  is  your  attitude  toward 
existing  evils;  those  so  often  overlooked  yet  none  the  less  sinful? 
Do  you  smile  at  gambling  and  drunkenness  and  impurity  and 
deceit?  Or  do  you  dare  stand  for  the  noblest  principles  of  col- 
lege honor? 


20 


III.     AMOS'    ARRAIGNMENT    OF    ISRAEL. 
Seventh  Day.     The  Death  Sentence. 

1.  Before  the  bar  of  justice,  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  Israel 
stands  condemned.  The  voice  of  Almighty  God  entreating  her, 
has  awakened  no  response.  Unrepentant,  she  awaits  her  sentence, 
and  it  is  destruction. 

2.  Read  Amos  6 :7.  How  fitting  that  the  nobles  who  have  led 
the  nation  should  walk  at  the  head  of  the  procession  of  captives. 
Note  the  irony.  Read  vs.  8.  Jehovah  solemnly  swears  that  he 
hates  Israel.  "Excellency  of  Jacob," — the  boasted  pride  of  her 
wealth  and  power. 

3.  Read  vss.  9,  10.  "The  death  of  even  so  large  a  household 
as  ten — the  funeral  left  to  a  distant  relation — the  disposal  of  the 
bodies  by  burning  instead  of  by  the  burial  customary  among  the 
Hebrews — sufficiently  reflect  the  kind  of  calamity.  Note  the  im- 
pression of  ghastly  realism;  the  unclean  and  haunted  house;  the 
kinsman  and  the  body-burner  afraid  to  search  through  the  in- 
fected rooms,  and  calling  in  muffled  voice  to  the  single  survivor 
crouching  in  some  far  corner  of  them,  'Are  there  any  more  with 
thee?'  his  reply  'None' — himself  the  next!  Yet  these  details  are 
not  the  most  weird.  Over  all  hangs  a  terror  darker  than  the 
pestilence.  'Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city  and  Jehovah  not  have 
done  it?'  ':      G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

4.  Read  vs.  11.  Even  the  poor  and  innocent  must  suffer. 
Note  the  folly  of  the  comparison  in  vs.  12.  "Would  you  plow 
the  sea?  Yet  your  madness  in  resisting  Jehovah  is  more  astound- 
ing." 

5.  Read  vss.  13,  14.  The  agent  of  Israel's  destruction  is  As- 
syria. Cf.  Study  II.,  Second  Day,  2.  The  territory  mentioned  in 
vs.  14b  had  been  recently  recovered  for  Israel  by  Jeroboam  II, 
Cf.  II  Kings  14:25. 

6.  Make  a  concise  statement  of  Israel's  sins.  Forget  for  the 
moment  that  you  have  been  studying  a  period  lying  nearly  twenty- 
seven  hundred  years  in  the  past,  and  note  the  surprising  modernity 
of  Israel's  social  problems. 

7.  Remember  that  a  nation  is  made  up  of  individuals.  A  na- 
tion is  no  stronger  than  the  states  which  compose  it.  A  state  is 
no  stronger  than  the  counties  into  which  it  is  divided.  The  village 
or  city  where  you  live  is  safe  only  as  the  homes  which  comprise  it 
are  pure  and  secure.  Your  home  is  largely  dependent  on  you, 
a  member  of  it.  The  test  as  to  whether  or  not  a  nation  walks  with 
God  is  whether  or  not  its  individual  citizens  walk  with  God. 
Israel  forgot  to  walk  with  God  and  she  perished.  It  is  fatal  for 
any  nation  or  individual  thus  to  forget. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  33- 
39.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  chaps. 
8,  9-     Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  78-85. 

21 


STUDY  IV.     AMOS'  VISIONS  AND   TEACHINGS. 
First  Day.     The  Higher  Type  of  Prophetic  Visions. 

1.  Thus  far  in  his  arraignment  of  Israel,  Amos  has  uttered 
his  denunciations  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  without  indicating  in 
detail  the  manner  in  which  he  received  his  message  and  his  im- 
pulse to  serve.  With  the  seventh  chapter,  however,  we  find  a 
series  of  visions,  variously  interpreted,  which  suggests  how  this 
message  came  to  him. 

2.  Read  Amos  7:1,  4,  7;  8:1.  These  verses  immediately  raise 
the  following  questions:  What  were  Amos'  visions?  Was  there 
anything  in  the  preceding  experiences  of  the  nation  to  suggest 
them  ?  Cf .  vss.  4 :9,  7-  Were  they  like  the  crude,  ecstatic  visions 
that  occurred  in  early  primitive  prophecy?  Were  they  real  ob- 
jective experiences,  or  were  they  mental  experiences? 

3.  The  visions  of  Amos  certainly  were  not  of  the  frenzied 
sort  such  as  the  false  prophets  beheld.  Read  Amos  7:14  and 
note  how  he  disclaims  all  connection  with  the  prophetic  societies. 

4.  Amos  and  the  later  prophets  regarded  their  visions  as  ob- 
jective in  the  sense  that  they  were  caused  by  God.  Amos  7:1. 
Amos  is  conscious  of  having  received  a  revelation.  So  were  the 
other  great  prophets.  Sometimes  they  heard  the  message;  some- 
times they  saw  it;  but  thev  were  alwaj^s  conscious  that  it  came 
from  God.    Cf.  Is.  6:1 ;  Jer'.  1:11. 

5.  May  not  these  visions  have  been  the  prophets'  spiritual 
interpretations  of  existing  facts  and  conditions,  visible  alike  to 
themselves  and  their  contemporaries,  but  meaningless  except  to 
the  prophet  with  inspired  insight?  This  type  of  vision  is  familiar 
to  psychologists.  It  is  familiar  also  to  believers  in  prayer.  It  is 
the  God-given  power  to  see  things  as  they  really  are  and  to  inter- 
pret their  true  significance.  The  earliest  prophets  interceded 
with  God.  Cf.  Amos  7:2.  They  prayed  to  Him  and  were  con- 
scious of  receiving  a  definite  answer.  It  is  a  fact  of  universal 
experience  that  when  a  person  is  in  close  and  natural  communion 
with  God,  he  will  surely,  sooner  or  later,  gain  a  clear  conception 
of  truth  and  duty.  The  prophet's  mind,  in  searching  for  truth, 
was  in  a  state  of  intense  activity,  and  upon  this  active,  intelligent 
mind  the  Divine  mind  made  its  impression. 

22 


IV.    AMOS'   VISIONS   AND   TEACHINGS. 
Second  Day.    The  Interpretation  and  Application  of  Amos' 

Visions. 

1.  In  the  books  of  the  Hebrew  prophets  we  commonly  find 
that  the  call  of  the  prophet  to  his  task  is  not  recorded  until  the 
latter  part  of  his  ministry.  This  is  true  of  Amos  and  Isaiah.  It 
is  probable  that  the  visions  of  Amos  recorded  in  chapters  7-9  were 
experiences  which  came  to  him  in  his  early  ministry,  but  they 
do  not  appear  to  have  been  employed  by  him  until  all  other 
methods  had  failed. 

2.  His  sermons  of  invective  and  warning  failed  to  change  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  Hence  he  used  those  visions  to  impress  upon 
his  hearers  the  fundamental  truth  that  Jehovah,  though  He  be 
long-suffering,  cannot  leave  the  wicked  and  unrepentant  nation  un- 
punished. Cf.  1:3,  6,  9,  11.  These  visions  are  really  a  series  of 
illustrated  sermons.  One  central  thought  runs  through  them  all. 
Determine  the  nature  of  this  thought  as  you  take  up  the  visions 
in  order. 

3.  The  vision  of  the  locusts.  Read  Amos  7:1.  When  do  the 
locusts  appear?  The  "king's  mowings"  were  probably  tributes 
levied  by  the  kings  on  the  spring  herbage.  The  second  crop  sup- 
ported the  people.  What  does  the  prophet  do  and  with  what 
success.  Read  Amos  7:2,  3.  Probably  such  a  locust  plague  had 
occurred  before.  Cf.  Amos  5  :9-  What  was  there  in  the  social 
and  moral  condition  of  Israel  to  explain  the  prophet's  alarm? 

4.  The  vision  of  the  Great  Drought.  Read  Amos  7 :4.  "The 
great  deep"  was  the  subterranean  waters  on  which  the  earth  was 
supposed  to  rest;  it  was  also  the  source  of  springs  and  fountains. 
Cf.  Gen.  7:11.  The  figure  is  intended  to  describe  the  universality 
and  completeness  of  the  drought.  Read  Amos  7 :5,  6.  Both  these 
disasters  are  in  the  realm  of  nature.  What  is  Amos'  attitude  to- 
ward them?  Does  he  summon  them  as  punishment  upon  guilty 
Israel,  or  are  they  to  be  regarded  as  the  inevitable  consequences 
of  its  sin?  What  is  the  basis  of  Amos'  appeal  for  Israel?  Is  it 
Jehovah's  justice  or  His  mercy? 

5.  A  new  aspect  of  Amos'  character  appears  here.  He  suffers 
with  the  people  whose  sins  he  denounces.  The  judgment  which 
he  must  proclaim  fills  his  own  soul  wibh  agony.  He  is  not  a 
mere  voice  that  announces  destruction;  he  is  a  man  whose  heart 
bleeds  for  his  people,  but  who  is  powerless  to  save  them.  Hence 
his  appeals  for  pity.  "Forth  to  his  mission  of  judgment  he  must 
go,  but  he  goes  to  it  from  the  mercy  seat,  and  the  ministry  of  in- 
tercession." 


23 


IV.    AMOS'   VISIONS  AND   TEACHINGS. 
Third  Day.    Inevitable  Judgment  About  to  Overtake  Israel. 

1.  The  vision  of  the  plumb-line.  The  two  preceding  visions 
were  drawn  from  nature.  This  vision  is  drawn  from  city  life. 
Read  Amos  7:7-9-  How  is  Jehovah  pictured?  By  what  stand- 
ard will  the  nation  be  judged?  Jehovah  tests  the  nation  by  the 
plumb-line.  What  is  the  result  of  the  test?  What  has  been  the 
trouble  with  Israel's  sanctuaries?  Read  again  5:21-24.  What  is 
the  verdict  of  Jehovah?  Why  is  Amos  here  unable  to  intercede 
for  Israel?  By  comparison  with  the  true  standards  of  justice, 
Jehovah  made  known  to  Amos  the  dangerous  condition  of  Israel's 
national  life. 

2.  Amos  has  pronounced  the  doom  of  the  sanctuaries.  They 
were  regarded  as  the  dwelling  place  of  Jehovah.  Naturally, 
Amaziah,  the  priest  of  the  sanctuary  of  Bethel,  charges  Amos 
with  treason  against  the  nation  and  against  Jehovah,  the  nation's 
God.  Read  his  charge  against  Amos  in  7:10-13.  To  whom  does 
Amaziah  make  the  charge?  Had  Amos  conspired  against  Israel? 
How  far  is  the  charge  true?  Whom  did  Amos  represent  in  his 
attack  upon  the  nation?  "It  is  a  familiar  scene  in  history  where 
priest  and  man  face  each  other — the  priest  with  a  king  behind 
him,  the  man  with  God  behind  him.  Amaziah's  speech  is  con- 
temptuous, revealing  only  fear,  pride  and  privilege."  G.  A. 
Smith,  Booh  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  What  does  Amaziah  tell 
Amos  to  do?  Cf.  5:12.  "Eat  bread"  implied  that  Amos  prophe- 
sied for  mercenary  motives.  Notice  the  utter  lack  of  spiritual 
consciousness  in  the  final  word  of  the  priest  in  vs.  13. 

3.  Amos'  Reply.  To  the  charge  that  he  is  a  false  and  mer- 
cenary prophet  Amos  makes  the  retort  recorded  in  7:14-17.  What 
was  Amos'  daily  occupation  ?  Who  called  Amos  to  his  task  ?  The 
fearless  man  of  God  answers  the  challenge  and  then  scathingly 
condemns  the  priest  who  has  set  his  office  and  system  against 
God.  What  terrible  calamities  are  described  in  vss.  16,  17? 
Amos  repeats  the  very  word  which  Amaziah  has  used  in  his  charge 
against  him. 

4.  Vision  of  Summer  Fruit.  Read  Amos  8:1-3.  Tropical 
summer  fruit  is  luscious,  outwardly  attractive,  but  often  inwardly 
rotten.  What  is  the  conception  here  of  the  final  ,and  loathsome 
end  of  the  nation?     What  germs  of  decay  were  within  it? 


24 


IV.     AMOS'   VISIONS   AND   TEACHINGS. 
Fourth  Day.     Sin  Causes  Spiritual  Famine. 

1.  The  hypocritical  worship  so  bitterly  denounced  by  Amos 
is  the  direct  result  of  the  low  morals  of  the  nation  and  the  disre- 
gard of  God's  poor  by  the  rich.  In  Amos  8:4-10  we  have  the  de- 
nunciation of  the  merchants  of  Israel  for  their  greed  and  dis- 
honesty. What  have  the  wealthy  forgotten  to  do?  What  is  the 
nature  of  their  crimes  as  described  in  vss.  5,  6?  The  "new 
moon"  was  observed  as  a  holy  day,  a  day  on  which  trade  was 
suspended.  "Ephah"  was  the  measure  used  in  selling;  "shekel" 
represented  the  money  weighed  out  and  paid  by  the  purchaser. 
The  rich  by  their  fraud  forced  the  poor  into  debt. 

2.  What  punishments  does  Jehovah  swear  to  send  upon  Israel 
in  8:8-10?  An  earthquake  is  probably  described  in  vs.  8.  It 
symbolizes  the  complete  ruin  of  the  land. 

3.  Read  vss.  11-14.  This  is  the  most  terrible  threat  that 
Amos  has  pronounced.  A  famine  is  here  described.  What  kind 
of  a  famine  is  it?  The  nation  is  thought  of  as  tottering  like  a 
sick  man  for  lack  of  food.  The  food  they  seek  is  indeed  a  reve- 
lation from  Jehovah.  But  the  prophet  in  that  day  will  be  gone. 
They  will  be  utterly  cast  off  by  God.  Vss.  13,  14.  The  flower 
of  the  nation  shall  be  destroyed.  The  young  men  and  maidens 
shall  fall  down  exhausted.  Those  who  swear  by  the  half-heathen 
sanctuaries  shall  perish. 

4.  Try  to  imagine  all  the  influences  of  religion  taken  out  of 
your  life.  In  trouble,  sickness,  loneliness,  failure,  try  to  imagine 
yourself  cut  off  from  God.     This  is  what  Amos  prophesies  as  a 

>  natural  and  inevitable  consequence  of  the  nation's  persistent  sin. 
Sin,  whether  national  or  individual,  isolates  a  man  from  God. 
If  a  man  shuts  his  eyes  to  purity  and  honesty  and  sympathy  and 
love,  and  allows  selfish  ambition  and  unholy  lust  to  ravage  his 
soul,  he,  by  his  own  deliberate  act,  shuts  God  out  of  his  life.  And 
he  not  only  shuts  out  God,  he  shuts  out  also  the  things  for  which 
God  forever  stands.  He  loses  the  ability  to  be  pure,  to  be  honest, 
to  be  kind,  the  ability  for  friendship  and  love.  Can  ami;hing 
in  this  world  be  more  awful  than  spiritual  famine,  spiritual  starva- 
tion, self-inflicted?. 


IV.    AMOS'   VISIONS  AND   TEACHINGS. 

Fifth  Day.    Vision  of  the  Smitten  Sanctuary  and  the  End 

of  the  Nation. 

1.  In  this  last  oracle  the  prophet  dwells  upon  the  might  and 
majesty  of  Jehovah,  and  then  pronounces  the  final  and  unes- 
capable  decision.  Israel  will  not  listen;  she  will  not  obey;  Je- 
hovah can  do  nothing  but  inflict  the  penalty  she  deserves. 

2.  Read  Amos  9:1.  As  Amos  turns  to  leave  the  sanctuary 
he  beholds  beside  the  altar  the  Lord  pronouncing  the  last  fearful 
denunciation.  The  people  shall  meet  their  death  in  the  temple 
which  they  have  profaned.  What  truth  does  the  prophet  empha- 
size in  9:2-4?  "Carmel"  was  thickly  wooded  and  filled  with 
caves  having  narrow,  winding  entrances.  The  "serpent"  was  a 
legendary  sea  monster  which  figures  prominently  in  the  oldest 
Semitic  traditions. 

3.  Then  follow  two  beautiful  verses,  descriptive  of  Jehovah's 
power.  Read  vss.  5-7.  What  attributes  are  ascribed  here  to 
Jehovah?  "These  verses  are  the  natural  leap  of  the  soul  to  the 
stars.  They  are  the  passages  most  fondly  dwelt  upon  by  the 
poetry  of  the  desert."     G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

Read  vs.  7  and  compare  it  with  the  verse  previously  studied 
(3:2).  Why  has  Jehovah  dealt  so  bitterly  with  this  people? 
Amos'  concluding  words  are  portion  of  vs.  8 — "Behold,  the 
eyes  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  are  upon  the  sinful  kingdom,  and  I  will 
destroy  it  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth." 

4.  In  the  remainder  of  Chap.  9  (vss.  8c-15)  are  found  many 
expressions  and  ideas  which  seem  to  be  foreign  to  Amos.  In  vs. 
9  Israel  is  represented  as  being  scattered  among  the  nations. 
Throughout  the  rest  of  the  prophecy,  however,  Amos  declares  that 
Israel  will  be  captive  to  Assyria.  He  then  also  predicts  the  de- 
struction of  the  entire  nation ;  here  (vs.  8c)  a  portion  of  the  nation 
is  spared.  It  has  often  been  observed  that  a  material  restoration 
and  prosperity  of  Judah,  and  this  without  any,  previous  moral 
reformation,  is  not  only  inconsistent  with  the  ethics  of  Amos,  but 
also  with  the  conception  of  God  which  he  presents.  Some 
scholars,  to  explain  this  change  in  the  author's  point  of  view,  re- 
gard this  closing  section  of  Amos  as  an  appendix  which  was 
added  by  some  scribe  after  the  exile  in  order  to  adapt  the  book 
of  Amos  to  the  very  different  needs  of  the  later  Jewish  commu- 
nity. Do  you  think  that  such  a  view  adds  to  or  detracts  from  the 
total  impression  which  the  book  of  Amos  makes  upon  you  ? 


IV.     AMOS'   VISIONS   AND   TEACHINGS. 
Sixth  Day.    Amos'  Conception  of  God. 

1.  Amos  was  a  fearless  prophet  of  destruction.  Throughout 
the  pages  of  his  prophecy  we  can  hear  Israel's  death  knell  toll- 
ing. Why  was  Israel  in  such  extreme  danger?  From  earliest 
times  there  prevailed  the  idea  that  Israel  and  Jehovah  were  one. 
It  was  a  strange  teaching  which  asserted  that  Jehovah  would  turn 
against  His  people.  Was  it  not  a  unique  position  for  a  prophet 
to  take?  There  were  three  grounds  for  this  announcement  of 
doom:  (a)  blind  self-confidence  in  the  face  of  grave  political 
dangers  from  without;  (b)  religious  hypocrisy  and  exclusiveness ; 
(c)  disregard  by  the  rulers  of  their  own  obligations  and  of  the 
people's  rights. 

2.  The  moral  and  spiritual  teachings  of  Amos — those,  indeed, 
of  any  Old  Testament  writer — cannot  be  studied  apart  from  the 
idea  of  God  then  prevailing.  Morals,  individual  and  national, 
have  their  ultimate  basis  in  God;  hence  the  force  of  what  men 
conceive  His  nature  and  will  to  be.  What,  then,  was  Amos'  con- 
ception of  God? 

(a)  How  does  Amos  designate  God,  and  what  is  the  meaning 
of  the  title?    Amos  5:14,  27;  6:8,  14. 

(b)  Is  He  a  God  who  reveals  Himself  through  Nature? 
4:7-11;  8:8;  9:5. 

(c)  Is  He  interested  in  men?     3:1,  2,  7. 

(d)  Is  He  the  God  of  the  world,  or  only  of  Israel?  1:5; 
2:1-3;  9:2,  3;  9:7. 

(e)  Is  He  a  God  of  mercy?  7:2,  3,  5,  6.  Is  He  a  God  of 
justice;  and  what  is  the  relation  between  justice  and 
mercy?    Cf.  1:3,  6;  7:8,  9. 

(f)  What  is  God's  attitude  toward  sacrifice  and  the  mere 
forms  of  worship?     3:14;  5:21-25;  9:1. 

(g)  What  sort  of  worship  does  God  require?    2:6-8;  5:24. 


27 


IV.     AMOS'   VISIONS   AND   TEACHINGS. 
Seventh  Day.    Social  and  Moral  Teachings  of  Amos. 

1.  Was  Amos  a  socialist?  Recall  his  origin  and  the  class  he 
represented;  recall  his  attitude  toward  the  rich,  the  rulers,  the 
corrupt  judges;  recall,  further,  the  charge  that  the  royal  official, 
Amaziah,  made  against  him. 

2.  Did  Amos  look  for  an  overthrow  of  existing  social  and 
political  conditions?  If  so,  did  he  regard  such  an  overthrow  as 
a  calamity,  or  as  a  necessity  to  be  welcomed?  Did  he  make  any 
effort  to  avert  it?  Did  he  look  for  the  salvation  of  society  by 
means  of  a  fundamental  reorganization  of  it,  or  by  means  of  a 
deeper  recognition  of  individual  responsibility? 

3.  Amos  does  not  attack  wealth;  he  denounces  the  selfish 
misuse  of  it.  He  is  not  the  champion  of  the  poor  simply  because 
they  are  poor;  he  espouses  their  cause  because  they  are  oppressed. 
He  does  not  decry  the  idea  of  rulership;  he  condemns  the  abuse 
of  its  sacred  trusts.  Amos  has  much  in  common  with  all  socialists. 
But  his  is  a  socialism  that  spells  neither  upheaval  nor  anarchistic 
rejection  of  all  political  organization,  nor  the  abandonment  of  the 
heritage  of  the  past;  it  is  a  socialism  in  which  all  men  and  all 
nations  shall  recognize  their  part  in  the  plan  of  God,  a  socialism 
in  which  each  man  shall  realize  the  necessity  of  being  faithful 
to  his  own  individual  responsibility.  The  national  disaster  which 
Amos  depicts  is  not  merely  a  means  to  an  end,  nor  even  a  remedy 
for  evil;  it  is  an  inevitable  consequence  of  Israel's  failure  to 
accept  and  act  upon  the  real  principles  of  life. 

"No  tendency  in  modern  life  is  more  destructive  to  social  prog- 
ress than  the  tendency  to  weaken  the  sense  of  personal  responsi- 
bility for  social  imperfection;  and  to  fix  the  blame  on  unpro- 
pitious  circumstances.  The  obvious  fact  is,  that  for  a  very  large 
part  of  social  disorder,  the  chief  responsibility  lies  in  the  pas- 
sions and  ambitions  of  individual  men,  and  that  no  social  arrange- 
ment can  guarantee  social  welfare,  unless  there  is  brought  home 
to  vast  numbers  of  individuals  a  profounder  sense  of  personal 
sin."     F.  G.  Peabody,  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  40- 
44.  Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  92-97. 
G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chap.  6,  Sec- 
tions 3,  10,  11. 


28 


STUDY  V.     HOSEA:   PROPHET   OF   LOVE. 
First  Day.    The  Need  of  the  Hour. 

1.  Amos  has  finished  his  message.  He  has  thundered  forth 
the  eternal  principles  of  truth  and  righteousness.  As  God's 
spokesman  he  has  summoned  men  to  a  new  sense  of  responsibility, 
to  a  stricter  devotion  to  their  God;  and,  with  a  terrible  arraign- 
ment of  Israel's  sins — sins  that  were  sweeping  her  on  to  inevitable 
destruction — his  ministry  closed.  There  was  little  tenderness  in 
his  message;  it  was  cold  and  severe.  There  was  little  hope  in 
his  ministry;  it  was  full  of  despair.  Hard,  punitive  justice  in- 
tensified the  gloom.     His  work  was  not  final.     It  could  not  be. 

2.  Amos  was  the  conscience  of  the  state.  He  convicted  men 
of  sin.  There  was  needed  now  a  prophet  of  repentance.  The 
time  called  for  a  man  who  embodied  in  himself,  and  could  win- 
somely  utter  to  others,  the  great  message  that  still  remained 
unspoken;  a  man  with  a  heart  so  pure  and  tender  that  he  could 
allure  men  to  God,  and  inspire  them  to  know,  that  greater  than 
justice,  grander  than  law,  the  deepest  thing  in  human  life,  and 
the  highest  thing  in  God,  is  love. 

3.  Read  Hos.  7:15;  11:1,  3,  4.  "How  fitting  that  Hosea — 
whose  very  name  means  salvation — should  have  been  chosen  to 
deliver  this  message !  His  was  a  life  of  sympathy  with  God  and 
with  men.  He  came  not  as  a  prophet  above  his  fellows.  He 
suffered  with  them  and  bore  their  sorrows.  He  did  not  alone  try 
to  frighten  men  into  the  life  of  righteousness;  he  sought  to  draw 
them  by  proclaiming  the  love  of  God.  He  was  the  'first  prophet 
of  peace,  Israel's  earliest  evangelist.'  ".  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of 
the  Twelve  Prophets,  Vol.  1,  Chap.  13. 


29 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET    OF    LOVE. 
Second  Day.    The  Man  Hosea. 

1.  Read  Hos.  1:1.  From  this  superscription,  and  the  inter- 
nal evidence  of  the  book,  the  date  of  Hosea's  prophetic  activity  is 
placed  between  745  and  720  B.  C.  He  probably  began  to  preach 
within  less  than  five  years  after  Amos  finished  his  Bethel  sermons. 

2.  Did  Hosea  live  in  Israel  or  in  Judah?  Read  1:4;  5:1; 
7:1.  Hosea  constantly  refers  to  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  and 
shows  an  intimate  connection  with  its  history  and  politics.  He 
alludes  rarely  to  the  Kingdom  of  Judah,  to  Jerusalem  never. 
These  facts  indicate  that  he  was  a  native  and  a  citizen  of  Israel. 
Unlike  Amos,  he  rises  as  a  prophet  out  of  the  midst  of  his  own 
people. 

3.  This  may  explain  his  intimate  familiarity  with  the  condi- 
tions of  his  day.  With  the  certainty  of  a  skilful  physician  he 
diagnoses  the  disease  of  his  nation.  What  charge  does  he  bring 
against  the  rulers  (7:3,  5)  ;  against  the  ritual  and  the  sanctuaries 
(13:2);  against  short-sighted  politicians  (7:11)?  What  ugly 
sins  besmirch  the  character  of  Israel  (4:2)  ?  What  is  the  under- 
lying cause  of  this  immorality  of  priest,  king  and  people  (4:1)? 

4.  In  the  foregoing  renunciation  of  the  evils  of  his  time, 
Hosea  is  not  unlike  Amos;  but  this  is  a  surface  agreement  only; 
his  is  a  far  richer  and  deeper  life  than  that  of  his  predecessor. 
Like  Elisha,  he  is  in  the  best  sense  a  man  among  men.  He  was 
more  than  a  strident  voice  from  the  desert.  Before  our  eyes  he 
lives  and  sympathizes  and  suffers  and  loves.  There  is  not  a 
prince,  or  judge,  or  priest  in  Israel  whose  sin  he  fears  to  de- 
nounce; and,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  not  a  man  so  poor,  nor 
widow  or  orphan  so  desolate,  nor  a  life  so  blasted  by  sin,  that 
Hosea's  message  of  love  cannot  comfort  and  relieve.  Read 
10:11;  11:4;  11:10;  14:5,  6,  and  notice  how  much  he  cares  for 
nature,  for  the  simple  things  of  everyday  life,  and  for  mankind. 

"Hosea's  love  steals  across  his  whole  land  like  the  dew,  pervad- 
ing every  separate  scent  and  color,  till  all  Galilee  lies  before  us, 
lustrous  and  fragrant  as  nowhere  else  outside  the  parables  of 
Jesus.  .  .  .  The  poetry  of  Hosea  clings  about  his  native 
soil  like  its  trailing  vines.  .  .  .  His  love  was  as  the  love  of 
that  greater  Galilean:  however  high,  however  lonely  it  soared, 
it  was  yet  rooted  in  the  common  life  below,  and  fed  with  the 
unfailing  grace  of  a  thousand  homely  sources."  G.  A.  Smith, 
Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Vol.  1,  Chap.  14. 


30 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET   OF    LOVE. 
Third  Day.    The  Domestic  Experiences  of  the  Prophet. 

1.  The  first  three  chapters  of  Hosea  reveal  the  hidden  depths 
of  the  prophet's  life.  They  tell  a  story  of  ruined  hopes  and 
crucified  ambitions,  of  love  that  never  reached  its  consummation, 
of  purity  blasted  in  the  bud,  of  a  home  life  devastated  by  shame. 
It  is  the  story  of  conjugal  infidelity,  but  this  infidelity  is  not 
mocked  at  or  despaired  of  as  in  so  much  of  our  modern  drama  and 
story.  Let  us  see  how  Hosea  deals  with  his  heart-breaking 
problem. 

2.  Read  Hos.  1 :2,  3.  What  does  the  Lord  impel  Hosea  to 
do?  Read  1:3-5.  What  name  does  Jehovah  command  Hosea 
to  give  to  his  first  son?  Jezreel  was  the  name  of  a  plain  that 
had  been  stained  by  the  blood  of  a  king.  Cf.  II  Kings  9:24. 
Would  not  the  name  of  the  child  be  a  constant  reminder  of  the 
calamity  to  befall  Israel  for  her  sins  ?  Read  1 :6,  7.  The  name 
of  the  daughter  means  "unpitied."  What  explanation  is  given 
in  vs.  6  for  this  name  ?  Read  1 :8,  9-  The  name  of  the  last 
boy  is,  "Not  my  people."  It  is  meant  to  suggest  the  repudiation 
of  the  covenant  relation  between  Jehovah  and  Israel.  Instead 
of  pleasant  names,  Hosea  has  given  to  his  children  prophetic 
names,  reminders  of  the  unpalatable  message  he  must  preach  to 
his  nation. 

3.  Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  God  commanded  Hosea  to 
marry  a  woman  who  was  a  harlot?  Do  you  think  that  Hosea,  if 
his  wife  had  always  been  faithful  to  him,  would  have  thus  pub- 
licly disgraced  her  and  his  home  for  the  sake  of  an  allegorical 
illustration  ?  Can  you  think  of  some  simpler  and  more  reasonable 
explanation  of  the  beginning  of  Hosea's  domestic  tragedy? 


81 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET    OF    LOVE. 
Fourth  Day.     The  Domestic  Experiences  of  the  Prophet 

(continued). 

1.  The  most  reasonable  explanation  of  Hosea's  experiences  is 
that  they  are  real.  The  woman  whom  he  marries  is  at  first  pure 
and  faithful.  At  the  birth  of  his  children,  however,  Hosea  finds 
that  his  wife  has  been  untrue  to  her  marriage  relations,  has  pol- 
luted herself  and  flouted  his  love  by  intrigues  with  various  para- 
mours. She  now  leaves  Hosea's  home  and  becomes  the  concubine 
of  another. 

2.  Hosea's  wife  has  forgotten  him;  she  has  dishonored  his 
name;  she  has  abandoned  his  home  to  live  the  life  of  a  harlot. 
But  Hosea  cannot  forget  her.  He  remembers  her  as  he  loved 
her  in  the  days  of  her  purity  and  wifely  devotion.  And  he 
knows  that  he  loves  her  still.  In  the  midst  of  this  heartbreaking 
trial  he  hears  the  voice  of  Jehovah  speaking.  Read  Hos.  3:1. 
What  does  the  Lord  tell  Hosea  to  do?  What  reason  is  given? 
What  price  does  he  pay  for  her?  3:2.  This  was  the  price  of 
a  common  slave;  it  was  equivalent  to  about  eighteen  dollars. 
What  relation  will  she  now  bear  to  Hosea?  3:3.  Why  cannot 
she  become  his  wife  once  more  and  enjoy  his  love? 

"  Weeping  blinding  tears, 
I  took  her  to  myself,  and  paid  the  price 
(Strange  contrast  to  the  dowry  of  her  youth 
When  first  I  wooed  her) ;  and  she  came  again 
To  dwell  beneath  my  roof.     Yet  not  for  me 
The  tender  hopes  of  those  departed  years, 
And  not  for  her  the  freedom  and  the  love 
I  then  bestowed  so  freely.     Sterner  rule 
Is  needed  now.     In  silence  and  alone 
In  shame  and  sorrow,  wailing,  fast  and  prayer, 
She  must  blot  out  the  stains  that  made  her  life 
One  long  pollution." 

Plumptre,  Lazarus. 

3.  The  account  of  the  unfaithfulness  of  Hosea's  wife  is  a 
harrowing  story.  Now,  as  then,  conjugal  infidelity  blights 
the  common  life.  Is  such  perfidy  on  the  man's  part  condemned 
as  severely  as  it  should  be?  The  wife  who  is  unfaithful  to  her 
husband  is  reprobated;  but  the  husband  who  is  untrue  to  his  wife 
is  not  sufficiently  made  to  feel  the  weight  of  public  displeasure. 
A  twofold  moral  standard,  one  for  women  and  another  for  men, 
is  too  prevalent  in  our  day.  Is  there  any  basis  for  this,  either 
in  one's  conscience  or  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus?  In  the  white 
light  of  Jesu3'  teaching  there  is  no  differentiation  of  purity  in 
man  and  purity  in  woman;  men  and  women  are  alike  morally 
responsible ;  the  purity  that  a  man  should  desire  in  his  wife,  that, 
and  no  less,  she  has  the  right  to  demand  of  him. 

32 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET    OF    LOVE. 
Fifth  Day.    Hosea's  Call  to  Become  a  Prophet. 

1.  The  divine  summons  to  a  great  life-work  does  not  always 
come  in  a  voice  of  thunder  nor  in  some  mighty  event.  It  lies  back 
in  the  seemingly  commonplace  events  that  turned  Godward  the 
stream  of  our  life;  in  temptations  resisted  that  gave  us  new 
strength  to  resist;  in  sorrows  that  gripped  but  taught  us  ten- 
derness of  heart  and  sympathy  for  our  fellows.  So  Hosea's  call 
came. 

2.  Out  of  his  own  bitter  experience  Hosea  heard  the  call  of 
God  to  minister  to  a  nation  full  of  dishonor  and  shame.  His  own 
unhappy  heme  had  taught  him  his  message.  It  consisted  of  five 
great  personal  truths:  (1)  That  having  loved  his  wife,  he  could 
never  cease  to  love  her,  however  much  she  had  sinned.  (2)  That 
the  sorrow  her  sin  caused  him  was  in  direct  proportion  to  his  love 
for  her.  (3)  That  discipline  was  necessary  in  order  to  bring 
the  heart  of  the  guilty  one  to  penitence.  (4)  That  penitence 
must  precede  forgiveness  and  reconciliation.  (5)  That  nothing 
is  to  be  desired  more  than  the  joy  of  reconciliation. 

"  To  seek  and  save  the  lost, 
Forgetful  of  my  calling  and  my  fame, 
To  call  thee  mine,  and  bring  thee  back  to  God, 
Became  the  master-passion  of  my  heart." 

Plujiptre,  Lazarus. 

3.  Hosea  came  to  feel  that  the  sorrow  which  had  blighted  his 
life  was  a  common  sorrow.  His  pain  yielded  to  sympathy.  His 
tragic  experience  led  on  to  his  heartfelt  message,  namely,  that  the 
love  which  he  bore  his  wife,  and  the  anguish  her  infidelity  caused 
him,  was  like  the  love  that  God  had  for  his  nation,  and  the 
anguish  that  God  felt  when  his  nation  ceased  to  care. 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET    OF    LOVE. 
Sixth  Day.    The  Relationship  Between  Jehovah  and  Israel. 

1.  In  the  figure  drawn  from  his  own  life,  Hosea  tells  the 
story  of  Israel,  and  pleads  with  her  to  come  back  to  Jehovah, 
her  husband.  The  very  names  of  his  children  suggest  the 
estranged  relations.  Read  Hos.  2:2-5.  Israel  is  here  pictured 
as  the  unfaithful  wife.  What  does  Hosea  urge  his  fellow  coun- 
trymen to  do?  Why  is  Israel  no  longer  Jehovah's  wife?  With 
whom  has  she  committed  harlotry?  Cf.  8:6.  The  figure  of  vs. 
2  suggests  the  finery  with  which  a  harlot  adorned  herself.  What 
motive  led  Israel  to  go  astray  (vs.  5)  ? 

2.  Since  Israel  has  sinned,  she  must  be  disciplined.  Read 
vss.  6-13.  How  will  Jehovah  win  his  bride  back  to  himself? 
What  mistake  has  Israel  made  as  to  Jehovah's  attitude  toward 
her  (vs.  8)  ?  What  was  the  design  of  the  punishments  described 
in  vss.  9-13? 

3.  But  now  the  threats  cease,  and  in  their  place  we  hear  the 
tenderest  promises.  Read  vss.  14-18.  Here  is  a  sudden  change 
from  righteous  indignation  to  full  forgiveness  and  reconciliation. 
These  verses  assume  that  punishment  has  accomplished  its  pur- 
pose, that  penitence  has  taken  the  place  of  Israel's  deliberate 
sinning.  It  anticipates  a  chapter  in  Israel's  future  which  was 
not  completed  until  after  the  exile  had  done  its  work.  Where 
will  Jehovah  bring  Israel?  Vs.  14.  What  memories  would  the 
mention  of  the  wilderness  recall  to  an  Israelite?  Cf.  vs.  15. 
The  valley  of  Achor  or  "trouble"  was  the  valley  through  which 
Israel  entered  the  promised  land.  Cf.  Josh.  7:24,  26.  Note  the 
tenderness  of  vs.  16.  Jehovah's  love  is  so  great,  His  forgiveness 
is  so  far-reaching,  that  even  the  cattle  (vs.  18)  are  included  in 
the  renewed  covenant  which  He  makes  with  Israel. 

4.  At  last  the  proud  heart  of  Israel  breaks,  and  a  glorious 
restoration  is  pictured.  Read  vss.  19-23.  On  what  basis  will 
Jehovah's  new  covenant  with  His  people  be  established?  Vss. 
19,  20.  Cf.  vs.  13  and  4:1.  How  will  Israel  know  that  God  has 
received  her  back  to  himself?  Vss.  21-23.  The  names  of  the 
children  shall  be  changed;  Jezreel,  with  its  sordid  memories,  but 
turned  now  to  its  truer  meaning,  "God  sows,"  shall  suggest  the 
Divine  bounty.  "Unpitied"  shall  become  pitied.  "Not  my  peo- 
ple" shall  become  "My  people."  Once  more  Jehovah  shall  take 
back  His  bride  to  himself.  "The  wedding  ring  has  been  re- 
stored." 


34 


V.     HOSEA:    PROPHET    OF   LOVE. 
Seventh  Day.    Israel's  Immediate  and  Distant  Future. 

1.  When  the  love  of  God  was  made  clear,  how  strongly  did 
Israel  desire  the  day  of  restoration  and  reconciliation?  God  was 
ready;  but  Israel's  attitude  was  proud  and  defiant.  Read  Hos. 
3:4  and  note  the  prophet's  answer.  They  must  first  feel  the 
discipline  of  broken  political  and  religious  organizations  and  pain- 
ful exile. 

2.  But  still  the  distant  future  contained  a  hope  for  the  nation, 
which  is  concretely  voiced  in  Hos.  3:5;  1:10-2:1. 

3.  Is  God's  love  alone  sufficient  for  reconciliation?  Was 
Hosea's  love  for  his  wife  sufficient  to  win  her  back  to  virtue? 
What  else  is  essential  to  reconciliation? 

4.  Recall  the  story  of  Hosea's  life.  Recall  the  five  vital 
truths  of  Hosea's  message  (Fifth  Day)  and  determine  how  he 
applies  them  to  Jehovah  and  Israel.  What  was  the  central  theme 
of  Hosea's  teaching?  Why  was  it  necessary  at  this  time?  Is 
Hosea  less  manly  than  Amos?  Is  he  nearer  the  spirit  of  Jesus' 
teachings  ? 

5.  The  love  which  Hosea  makes  clear — the  love  of  God  for 
humankind  and  the  love  they  should  have  for  each  other — is  the 
greatest  thing  in  the  world.  By  its  power  men  have  been  called 
to  unselfish  service;  homes  have  been  established;  nations  have 
been  saved.  It  is  the  inspirer  of  all  noble  conduct;  to  attain  it 
should  be  the  goal  of  all  effort.  It  is  the  fundamental  element 
in  religion;  without  it  all  else  has  little  significance. 

"Love  suffereth  long  and  is  kind;  love  envieth  not;  love 
vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not  behave  itself  un- 
seemly, seeketh  not  its  own,  is  not  provoked,  taketh  not  account 
of  evil;  rejoiceth  not  in  unrighteousness,  but  rejoiceth  with  the 
truth;  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things, 
endureth  all  things.  Love  never  faileth.  .  .  .  But  now 
abideth  faith,  hope,  love,  these  three;  and  the  greatest  of  these  is 
love." 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  47- 
57.  CoRNiLL,  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  47-55.  Kent,  History  of 
the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  78-85.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the 
Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chaps.  13,  14. 


35 


STUDY   VI.     A   PEOPLE    IN    DECAY. 
First  Day.     The  Spirit  of  the  Times. 

1.  The  third  chapter  closes  the  story  of  Hosea's  home  life. 
"He  steps  at  once  to  his  hard  warfare  for  his  people;  and  through 
the  rest  of  the  book  we  never  hear  him  again  speak  of  home,  chil- 
dren, or  of  wife.  It  was  a  thick  night  into  which  he  stepped  from 
his  shattered  home.  Here  are  stumbling  and  clashing;  crowds  in 
drift;  confused  rallies;  gangs  of  assassins  rushing  across  the  high- 
ways; doors  opening  with  lurid  interiors  full  of  drunken  riot. 
Voices,  which  other  voices  mock,  cry  for  a  dawn  which  never 
comes."     G.  A.  Smith,  Booh  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Chap.  15. 

2.  Great  changes  have  come  to  pass  in  the  national  life  since 
the  days  of  Amos'  ministry.  Then  strong  kings  were  on  the 
thrones  of  Israel  and  Judah.  Prosperity  and  peace  reigned 
throughout  their  borders.  Cf.  Study  II.,  First  Day.  Read 
Amos  6:1.  But  now  Jeroboam  is  dead.  Those  who  follow  him  on 
the  throne  are  deposed  by  other  ambitious  office  seekers,  and  these, 
in  turn,  are  the  victims  of  murderous  court  conspirators.  The 
throne  of  Israel  is  bathed  with  blood.  Security  and  peace  have  fled. 
Society,  the  permanence  of  which  rests  upon  the  wisdom  of  the 
sovereign,  is  fast  crumbling  to  pieces  in  an  age  of  uncertainty 
and  corruption.  Glance  rapidly  over  II  Kings  15  for  a  first 
hand  impression  of  the  unsettled  condition  of  Israel. 

3.  The  language  of  Hosea  reflects  the  spirit  of  the  age. 
Quickly  changing  scenes,  bitter  denunciations  of  unthinkable  vice, 
the  people  frantically  seeking  help  from  heathen  powers  and 
finding  none,  outbreaks  defiant  of  every  law;  all  these  symptoms 
betray  the  vitiated  condition  of  the  age. 


36 


VI.     A  PEOPLE   IN  DECAY. 
Second  Day.     Jehovah's  Charges  Against  Israel. 

1.  In  chapter  four,  Hosea,  with  all  the  power  of  his  predeces- 
sor, Amos,  hurls  against  sinning  Israel  Jehovah's  accusation. 
Read  vs.  1.  What  three  fundamental  elements  in  a  nation's  life 
are  lacking  in  Israel  ?  What  particular  crimes  are  rampant  in 
Israel?  Read  vs.  2  and  compare  Hos.  10:4;  7:3;  6:8,  9;  4:14. 
Hosea  feels  that  the  case  is  hopeless.     Read  Hos.  4 :3. 

2.  Are  the  people  alone  to  blame?  Read  vss.  4,  5.  The 
leaders  of  the  people,  priest  and  then  the  prophet,  stumble  first. 
They  are  false  guides.  To  whose  negligence  does  Hosea  ascribe 
the  lack  of  knowledge?  Read  vss.  6,  7,  8.  Before  God  every 
priest  is  guilty  of  false  leadership.  But  most  unpardonable  of 
all,  the  priests  have  taken  delight  in  the  people's  sin.  They  have 
grown  rich  from  the  fines  and  the  guilt-offerings.  To-day  the 
attitude  of  the  priests  would  be  labelled  "ecclesiastical  graft." 

3.  The  priesthood  had  become  synonymous  with  mere  ritual. 
The  bearers  of  the  sacred  office  had  forgotten  their  moral  and  in- 
tellectual responsibility.  They  had  become  "blind  guides."  The 
power  of  true  religion  lost,  ritual  fostered  immoral  practices.  In 
these  the  people  engaged.  What  punishment  does  Jehovah 
threaten?  Read  vss.  9,  10.  What  dire  consequences  follow  in 
the  wake  of  this  lost  knowledge?  Read  vss.  11,  12.  The  mention 
of  trees  and  the  tops  of  mountains  (vs.  13)  has  reference  to  reve- 
lation in  omens — flocks  of  birds  and  the  like.  The  corruption  of 
religion  had  led  Israel  back  to  the  old  superstitious  practices  of 
early  days;  and  with  these  practices  sensual  appetite  gets  the 
upper  hand. 

4.  Read  vss.  14-19.  In  this  charge  is  portrayed  the  shameful 
consequences  of  insidious  error.  At  last  the  licentiousness  of 
priests  and  common  people  is  bringing  its  results.  The  daughters 
of  Israel,  young  unmarried  girls  and  newly  married  brides,  are 
sacrificing  their  purity  on  the  altars  of  shame.  Note  how  unerr- 
ingly Hosea  placed  the  real  responsibility  in  vs.  14.  Immorality 
is  a  moral  gangrene  that  preys  upon  the  vitals  of  family  life. 
And  here  in  the  very  heart  of  Israel's  life  there  is  rottenness  and 
corruption.  As  it  was  with  Israel,  so  with  any  nation  whose  men 
corrupt  themselves  must  the  consequence  inevitably  be. 


37 


VI.     A  PEOPLE  IN  DECAY. 
Third     Day.    The     Baneful     Consequences    of     Criminal 

Leadership, 
i.  Read  Hos.  5:1-7-  Against  whom  is  the  charge  directed? 
The  shepherds  of  the  people  have  encouraged  lewd  practices  at 
the  sanctuaries  of  Mizpah  and  Tabor.  Both  Israel  and  Judah 
are  steeped  in  sin.  Why  can  they  not  return  to  God?  Vs.  4. 
The  flocks  and  herds  in  vs.  6  were  probably  taken  for  the  purpose 
of  sacrifice;  why  did  Jehovah  reject  the  appeal  of  his  people? 
Read  vs.  7.  What  in  the  prophet's  estimation  would  have  won 
Jehovah's  favor? 

2.  The  alarm  of  war  is  sounding;  the  distant  foe  is  approach- 
ing; the  invader  will  sweep  down  upon  Israel — 

"Blow  the  trumpet  in  Gibeah,  the  clarion  in  Ramah; 
Raise  the  alarm  in  Bethel:  After  thee,  Benjamin." 

What  calamities  are  threatened  against  Israel?  Read  Hos. 
5:8-14.  To  whom  does  Israel  appeal  for  help?  Vss.  11,  13. 
"King  Jareb"  is  either  a  variation  of  the  favorite  Assyrian  title 
"Great  King,"  or  else  it  is  a  nickname  meaning  "King  Pick-a- 
Quarrel."  Israel,  situated  on  the  great  commercial  highway  be- 
tween Assyria  and  Egypt,  was  a  bone  of  contention  for  centuries. 
Does  the  prophet  believe  that  Assyria  will  help  Israel? 

3.  It  is  a  pitiful  picture  that  Hosea  paints.  The  priests  and 
princes  have  lost  their  spiritual  and  moral  stamina.  When  public 
distress  called  for  a  leader,  there  was  no  leader  about  whom  they 
could  rally.  The  enemy  was  rapidly  advancing;  destruction  was 
imminent;  even  Jehovah  was  obliged  to  turn  in  fierce  judgment 
upon  His  people.     It  is  a  tragic  picture  of  the  Nemesis  of  sin. 


38 


VI.    A  PEOPLE  IN  DECAY. 
Fourth  Day.     Fickle  Repentance. 

"When  he  slew  them,  then  they  inquired  after  him 
And  they  returned  and  sought  God  earnestly." 

1.  Perils  of  land,  perils  of  sea,  sickness  and  sorrow,  famine 
and  war  usually  make  men  think  of  God.  When  earthly  help 
fails,  even  wicked  men,  as  a  last  resort,  turn  to  God.  Read  Hos. 
6:1-3.  Note  the  idle  manner  with  which  these  Israelites  take 
their  formulas  of  repentance  upon  their  dips.  It  is  an  insult  tP 
God  to  treat  Him  with  such  levity  and  fickle  praise.  Even  God 
is  perplexed  to  know  what  to  do  with  such  people.  Their  love, 
the  necessary  basis  for  real  repentance,  is  like  the  mist  of  the 
morning  or  the  early  dew.     Cf .  vs.  4. 

2.  Jehovah  has  tried  to  impress  upon  the  people  His  interest 
in  them  and  the  nature  of  His  desire  for  them.  What  methods 
of  instruction  has  He  used?  Read  vs.  5.  Instead  of  an  answer- 
ing love,  what  does  Jehovah  receive  from  these  ungrateful  people? 
Read  6:7-7:2.  Note  the  footprints  of  the  murderer,  the  defiling 
touch  of  adultery,  the  highway  robbery  carried  on  by  a  gang  of 
priests  under  the  name  of  religion.  In  7 :3-7  is  vividly  portrayed 
the  corruption  of  the  court  life.  The  king  is  pictured  surrounded 
by  a  sickening  group  of  intoxicated  cut-throats,  and  these  only 
wait  for  the  opportunity  to  murder  their  way  to  the  throne.  In 
all  this  seething  mass  of  crime  and  despair,  there  is  no  one  who 
lifts  his  face  to  God. 

3.  Out  of  the  chapter  comes  a  crystal  verse:  "For  I  desire 
goodness,  and  not  sacrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of  God  more  than 
burnt  offerings."  There  is  the  secret !  How  often  Israel  has  used 
burnt  offerings  as  a  cloak  for  her  sin ;  how  often,  to-day,  men 
use  almsgiving  and  Sunday-religion  and  church  attendance  and 
long  prayers,  in  order  to  soothe  their  smitten  conscience.  The 
whole  wretched  make-believe  becomes  loathsome  in  the  sunlight  of 
the  prophetic  faith:  "I  desire  goodness  and  not  sacrifice,  and 
the  knowledge  of  God  more  than  burnt  offerings." 


VI.    A  PEOPLE  IN  DECAY. 
Fifth  Day.     Social  and  Political  Decay. 

1.  Israel's  leaders  and  people  have  been  guilty  of  gross  moral 
and  spiritual  crimes ;  they  have  come  also  to  the  verge  of  political 
disaster.  Henceforth  we  get  a  picture  of  their  social  and  political 
decay. 

2.  The  strength  of  Israel  in  days  gone  by  had  been  its  sepa- 
rateness  from  outside  powers.  Seclusion  had  been  her  strength. 
But  now  Israel,  her  real  strength  gone,  the  knowledge  of  God 
overlaid  with  meaningless  sacrifice  and  shameful  lust,  was  sure 
to  be  sucked  into  the  whirlpool  of  political  intrigue  and  confusion. 
Read  the  first  part  of  Hos.  7:8  and  compare  8:8-10.  "Ephraim 
— he  lets  himself  be  mixed  among  the  nations." 

3.  But  relations  with  foreign  nations  do  not  hold  all  the  dan- 
ger. The  constitution  of  society  at  home  is  like  an  unbaked  cake. 
"Ephraim  has  become  a  cake  unturned."  Of  equality  in  worship 
and  life,  in  profession  and  conduct,  there  is  none. 

4.  Read  7:9-16.  In  their  foreign  relations,  the  people  of 
Israel  will  be  the  losers.  They  seek  disgraceful  alliances,  first 
with  Egypt,  and  then  with  Assyria.  They  trust  not  in  God, 
though  He  could  deliver  them.  They  repay  His  instruction  with 
falsehood  and  lies.  It  is  only  when  hunger  grips  them  by  the 
maw  that  they  look  up,  and  howl  for  food.  What  will  be  Egypt's 
attitude  when  they  fall?     Vs.  16.     Cf.  8:7- 

5.  "Ephraim  is  a  cake  not  turned."  After  all  these  ages  of 
baking,  society  is  with  us  an  unturned  cake.  "How  many  Chris- 
tians are  living  a  hfe,  one  side  of  which  is  reeking  with  the  smoke 
of  sacrifice,  while  the  other  is  never  warmed  by  a  religious 
thought — our  worship  overdone  till  it  is  cindry,  dusty,  unattrac- 
tive, with  the  sap  and  freshness  burnt  out  of  it;  while  our  con- 
duct is  cold,  damp  and  heavy,  like  dough  which  the  fire  has  never 
reached?"     G.  A.  Smith. 


40 


VI.    A  PEOPLE  IN  DECAY. 
Sixth  Day.     "The  Corruption  that  is  through  Lust." 

1.  Hosea  has  analyzed  the  condition  of  his  nation.  National 
unity  is  gone ;  anarchy  is  the  rule.  No  leader  has  yet  come  to  the 
front  sufficiently  strong  to  lead  Israel  in  the  path  of  moral  sanity. 
She  has  no  prestige  among  the  nations  of  the  earth;  there  is  only 
false  confidence,  corruption,  confusion,  at  home.  Finally,  in  a 
picture  of  the  future,  Hosea  portrays  his  nation  undergoing  the 
horrors  of  an  impending  exile.  The  people  shall  offer  sacrifice 
like  the  heathen,  but  shall  take  no  delight  in  it,  Hos.  9:1-4;  all 
sense  of  communion  with  God  shall  be  then  a  mere  memory  of  the 
past,  9:3;  yea,  Israel  is  even  now  reaping  the  consequences  of 
her  sin.  What  sort  of  message  does  the  prophet  utter  in  9:7-9? 
Revolting  lust  is  common.      It  must  bring  its  own  punishment. 

2.  Of  the  singular  utterances  of  Hosea,  the  most  strikingly 
characteristic  are  his  transitions  and  contrasts.  Mark  the  imagery 
of  9:10.  Here  Hosea  pictures  Israel  in  her  early  prime,  pure 
and  vigorous  in  the  sight  of  God;  then  she  comes  into  contact 
with  the  Canaanitish  sanctuaries:  shameful  lusts  have  eaten  their 
way  into  her  very  vitals;  now  there  is  "no  more  birth,  no  more 
motherhood,  no  more  conception."  Read  9:11-17.  Already 
Hosea  has  shown  Israel  that  prostitution  impoverishes  the  mind 
and  poisons  the  springs  of  the  family  life.  Now  he  points  out  its 
ultimate  deadliness.  It  destroys  the  power  to  produce.  It  kills 
a  nation's  vigor.  It  forebodes  the  suicide  of  the  race.  The  story 
of  undeveloped  Eastern  civilization,  the  story  of  the  suffocating 
luxury  of  Rome,  the  story  of  the  corrupt  French  courts  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  makes  it  as  clear  as  daylight  that  unlicensed  disre- 
gard for  sexual  purity  spells  disaster  for  any  nation. 

3.  But  Hosea  does  not  allow  the  case  to  rest  here.  Unlike 
many  dissectors  of  vice  in  our  day,  who  display  in  drama  and 
story  the  details  of  corrupt  living,  thinking,  perhaps,  that  diag- 
nosis should  suggest  a  cure,  unlike  these,  Hosea  proclaims  with 
great  positiveness  the  one  sovereign  cure  for  sin  and  the  moral 
consequences  of  sin;  it  is  an  unconditional  surrender  to  the  great 
and  loving  God;  "I  will  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel.  ...  I 
will  heal  their  backsliding,  I  will  love  them  freely." 


41 


VI.    A  PEOPLE  IN  DECAY. 
Seventh  Day.     "Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he 

also  reap." 

1.  Once  more  in  this  section  of  Hosea,  the  prophet  attacks  the 
hollowness  of  Israel's  religious  and  political  life.  Read  Hos. 
10:1-3,  and  note  how  the  material  prosperity  of  Israel  brought 
about  false  worship.  Why  is  the  prophet  so  bitterly  opposed  to 
these  manifestations  of  Canaanitish  worship?  Have  the  people 
lost  altogether  their  faith  in  God?  What  is  the  popular  attitude 
toward  the  king?  Can  you  trace  any  connection  between  loss  of 
faith  toward  public  men  and  loss  of  faith  toward  God?  What 
will  happen  to  the  images  that  have  been  worshipped  at  Bethel? 
Read  10:5,  6.  What  mockery  is  this!  The  very  gods  they  have 
worshipped  shall  be  sent  as  tribute  money  to  the  king  of  Assyria; 
in  the  hour  of  peril  their  help  does  not  avail.  Even  the  king  of 
Israel  is  tossed  about  like  a  chip  on  a  roaring  river.  There  is  no 
stability  or  certainty  anywhere.  The  rock  of  confidence  is  gone. 
Cf.  vs.  8. 

2.  Men  have  become  powerless,  kings  have  failed,  destruction 
is  imminent;  this  is  the  harvest  from  seed  deliberately  sown. 
Read  10:13.  "Ye  have  plowed  wickedness,  ye  have  reaped  in- 
iquity." Israel's  whole  history  has  been  one  of  blind  folly. 
There  has  been  no  moral  or  religious  progress.  False  gods, 
crooked  diplomats,  puerile  kings  and  pseudo-prophets  cannot 
alter  the  harvest.  The  eternal  laws  of  God's  universe  must  work 
out  their  course.     "O  Israel,  what  shall  I  do  unto  thee?" 

3.  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked:  for  whatsoever  a  man 
soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.  For  he  that  soweth  unto  his 
own  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption;  but  he  that  soweth 
unto  the  spirit  shall  of  the  spirit  reap  eternal  life."  Gal.  6:7,  8. 
How  may  a  man  sow  unto  his  own  flesh?  How  may  he  sow  unto 
the  spirit?  What  are  some  of  the  immediate  fruits  of  spiritual 
sowing? 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  57- 
70.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chaps. 
15,  16,  17. 


42 


STUDY    VII.     THE    SIN    AGAINST    LOVE. 
First  Day.     The  Character  of  God. 

''When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him 
And  from  Egypt  I  called  him  to  be  my  son." 

1.  Hosea  cannot  leave  the  fearful  sentence  of  death  which  he 
has  pronounced  upon  Israel  without  one  final  appeal.  It  is  the 
cry  of  a  father  to  his  wayward  child,  pleading  with  him  that  the 
tender  care  shown  in  the  days  of  childhood  may  yet  be  remem- 
bered; it  is  the  anguish  of  parental  love  unrequited,  of  yearning 
solicitude  never  answered.  In  this  final  and  most  spiritual  appeal 
of  the  whole  book,  Hosea  reveals  his  idea  of  the  character  of  God. 

2.  Read  Hos.  11:1  and  compare  2:15.  Reflect  on  the  wonder- 
ful care  of  God  for  this  slave  people  in  Egypt.  Remember  how 
God,  in  the  selection  of  His  chosen  people,  had  passed  by  the 
mighty  kingdoms  of  Egypt  and  Assyria,  and  had  allowed  His 
choice  to  fall  on  the  obscure  Jewish  slaves.  It  was  this  call  of 
God,  this  evidence  that  God  loved  them  and  had  given  them  a 
work  to  do,  that  transformed  them  from  serfdom  to  the  rank  of  a 
nation  through  whose  life  the  world's  redemption  was  to  be  ful- 
filled. 

3.  But  God  not  only  called  the  children  of  Israel  to  be  His 
sons;  He  trained  them  for  sonship.  He  called  them  from  servi- 
tude to  freedom.  Is  such  freedom  mere  liberty  to  do  as  one 
pleases  ?  What  means  had  God  used  ?  Read  1 1 :2.  Note  the 
paternal  tenderness  of  vs.  3.  Here  is  the  picture  of  the  father 
caring  for  his  child,  bearing  him  on  his  arms,  teaching  him  to 
walk,  before  the  child  could  appreciate  the  meaning  of  such 
fostering  care. 

4.  Here  again  the  figure  changes.  Read  vs.  4.  What  meta- 
phor does  the  prophet  employ  ?  Is  it  not  the  figure  of  the  driver 
coming  down  from  his  cart  to  lift  the  yoke  and  cheer  the  dumb 
beast  whose  load  is  too  heavy  to  be  drawn  ?  How  adroitly  Hosea 
can  change  from  the  figure  of  careless  childhood  to  that  of  man 
in  the  hard  work-a-day  world  plodding  along  under  burdens, 
grinding  and  heavy.  Does  God  let  us  feel  His  presence  when 
our  burdens  are  heaviest?  Like  the  humane  driver,  "He  comes 
and  takes  us  by  the  head;  and  through  the  mystic  power  which 
is  above  us,  but  which  makes  us  like  itself,  we  are  lifted  to  our 
task."     G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 


43 


VII.     THE   SIN   AGAINST   LOVE. 
Second  Day.     The  Character  of  God  (continued). 

"  How  am  I  to  give  thee  up,  O  Ephraim  ? 
How  am  I  to  let  thee  go,  O  Israel  ? 
How  am  I  to  give  thee  up  ?  " 

1.  As  the  prophet  continues  his  pleading  we  forget  that  it  is 
he  who  is  speaking;  it  is  as  if  it  were  God  Himself  stooping  down 
over  His  beloved  child,  pleading  with  him  to  come  back  and  ac- 
cept the  Father's  love.  Read  Hos.  14:1-3.  At  last  the  writer, 
with  true  insight  into  his  message,  feels  that  Israel  has  heard; 
and  in  the  beautiful  language  of  hope,  he  pictures  Israel  returning 
to  God.  Note  the  intimate  dialogue  form  in  which  Israel  re- 
nounces her  trust  in  foreign  help  and  in  foreign  gods.  Read 
God's  reply,  14:4-6.  It  is  the  figure  of  the  future,  of  the  restored 
Israel.  Then  the  prophet  speaks  in  vs.  7,  and  God  answers  in 
vs.  8.  Imagine  the  joy  that  would  come  to  a  father's  heart  when 
he  felt  that  his  fond  dream  had  come  to  realization. 

2.  But  over  the  prophet  there  comes  an  immediate  change  of 
feeling;  is  the  pleading  of  any  avail;  does  Israel  after  all  re- 
spond to  the  memory  of  her  childhood ;  will  the  dream  really  come 
true?  Read  11:5-7.  The  first  part  of  vs.  7  holds  the  key  to 
the  whole  matter.     Was  Israel's  lamentable  plight  God's  fault? 

3.  Again,  fatherhood  in  God  rises  above  justice  and  wisdom. 
It  is  the  fatherhood  which  cannot  relinquish  the  hope  that  some 
time  the  child  will  return  and  respond  to  the  call  of  love.  Read 
vss.  8,  9-  Admah  and  Zeboim  were  cities  by  the  Salt  Sea  which 
had  been  utterly  destroyed  because  of  their  guilt.  Note  the 
reason  for  this  continued  entreaty  in  vs.  9.  "For  I  am  God 
and  not  man,  the  holy  one  in  the  midst  of  thee."  It  is  the  char- 
acter of  God,  the  character  of  fatherhood  and  forgiving  love. 

"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killeth  the  prophets  and  stoneth 
them  that  are  sent  unto  her!  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  not!"     (Matt.  23:37.) 


44 


VII.     THE    SIN   AGAINST   LOVE. 
Third  Day.     The  Knowledge  of  God. 

1.  Underlying  the  specific  sins  openly  manifest  in  Israel's 
life,  and  constantly  reiterated  in  the  prophet's  invective,  is  the 
nation's  unpardonable  ignorance  about  God.  Review  Hos.  4:6; 
4:1;  5:4,  and  recall  the  relation  of  open  crime  to  this  lack  of 
knowledge.  It  was  a  lack  of  understanding,  that  is,  of  a  sense  of 
appreciation,  which  wrought  such  havoc  in  Hosea's  home;  it  was 
that  which  likewise  brought  Israel's  estrangement  from  God. 

2.  But  what  does  Hosea  mean  by  knowing  God?  Does  it 
mean  more  than  knowing  with  the  intellect?  What  contrast  is 
there  between  seeing  and  knowing  in  Is.  6:9:  "It  is  not  to  know 
so  as  to  see  the  fact  of,  but  to  know  so  as  to  feel  the  force  of; 
knowledge  not  as  acquisition  and  mastery,  but  as  impression  and 
passion  .  .  .  It  is  knowledge  that  is  followed  by  shame, 
or  by  love,  or  by  reverence,  or  by  a  sense  of  duty."  G.  A.  Smith, 
Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

3.  There  is  a  lack  of  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  people 
which  is  characterized  as  the  want  of  political  wisdom  and  of 
sensibility  to  danger.  Read  7:9,  11;  12:1.  But  the  greatest  igno- 
rance is  of  God  Himself.  "They  have  not  known  the  Lord." 
Have  they  remembered  God's  dealings  with  them  from  the  early 
days  in  Egypt?  Does  the  memory  of  the  leaders  and  prophets 
whom  God  has  given  them  make  any  impression  on  their  calloused 
souls?  They  have  forgotten  whose  people  they  are.  They  have 
ceased  to  be  dependent  on  God.  They  have  sold  their  birthright 
for  a  mess  of  pottage. 

4.  How  closely  now,  as  then,  are  sin  and  ignorance  related! 
Recall  4:11-12.  The  man  into  whose  life  no  ray  of  Divine  sun- 
shine falls  is  open  to  the  contagion  of  sin  and  shame;  and,  with 
equal  truth,  the  man  whose  vision  is  blurred  by  dishonest  outlook 
and  impure  living  can  neither  know  God  nor  be  sensitive  to  His 
pleading. 


45 


VII.     THE   SIN   AGAINST    LOVE. 
Fourth  Day.    The  Lack  of  Repentance. 

1.  "The  more  the  prophets  called  them,  the  more  they  went 
from  them."  Had  Israel  not  been  so  precious  to  Hosea  he  would 
never  have  treated  her  as  tenderly  as  he  did.  For  with  each  new 
offence,  with  each  new  apostasy  he  pleads  the  more  earnestly 
that  she  return  to  God. 

2.  It  is  interesting  to  study  Hosea's  method  of  dealing  with 
an  unrepentant  people.  He  tries  to  reach  (1)  the  element  of 
pride  in  the  public  conscience.  Think  how  such  denunciations 
as  occur  in  Hos.  4:2;  4:14;  10:5-6;  12:1,  would  sting  the  heart  of 
a  sensitive  people.  Can  a  man's  pride  ever  keep  him  from  sin? 
He  tries  also  (2)  to  bring  about  repentance  by  awakening  a  con- 
sciousness of  guilt.  Read  9:1;  13:1-3.  What  other  method  (3) 
does  he  employ  in  13:15-16?  Still  another  method  (4),  used  re- 
peatedly as  each  of  the  others  fail,  is  the  appeal  to  God's  loving 
care.  "When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him."  The  last  and 
greatest  appeal  of  all  (5)  is  suggested  by  Hosea's  own  experi- 
ence. Who  suffered  most  as  a  result  of  Gomer's  sin,  she  or  Hosea  ? 
What  is  the  most  dreadful  aspect  of  the  nation's  sin,  the  pain 
which  it  brought  the  nation  or  the  pain  which  God  suffered?  Read 
11:8.  In  final  analysis,  the  strongest  appeal,  the  one  that  ought 
to  crush  the  pride  and  bend  the  will  of  the  most  stubborn,  is  the 
appeal  of  God's  infinite  love  and  mercy. 

3.  We  have  seen  how  Israel  has  made  answer.  6:1-4.  There 
is  no  penitence  for  sin  here;  no  sorrow  for  the  suffering  that 
Israel  has  caused  God;  no  break  with  the  past;  no  return  to 
righteousness.  And  God  can  only  answer  "What  am  I  to  do  with 
thee,  Ephraim?"  Repentance  is  something  deeper  than  words 
and  farther-reaching  than  verbal  praise.  It  is  a  genuine  sorrow 
that  grips  the  soul  until  a  man  rises  and  tramples  on  his  sin, 
loathes  it,  forsakes  it.  Nor  does  it  end  even  there.  It  does  not 
close  with  the  desire  of  the  prodigal  son  to  return  home;  it  in- 
cludes the  homeward  j  ourney,  and  the  long  weary  days  of  struggle 
on  his  father's  farm,  while  he  jDroves  to  his  father  his  desire  to 
be  reinstated  as  his  son.  "Turn  thou  to  thy  God;  keep  kindness 
and  justice,  and  wait  for  thy  God  continually." 


46 


VII.     THE   SIN   AGAINST   LOVE. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Fatal  Loss  of  the  Ability  to  Repent. 

1.  One  after  the  other  the  appeals  and  threatenings  of  the 
prophet  come  back  to  him,  unheeded  like  empty  echoes.  Israel's 
nerve  of  pride  has  ceased  to  tingle,  the  conscience  of  the  nation 
makes  no  answer  to  the  charge  of  guilt,  love  awakens  no  love  in 
response;  even  the  certainty  of  oncoming  destruction  calls  forth 
hardly  more  than  a  passing  shudder.  Israel  has  lost  the  capacity 
to  repent.  Read  again  Hos.  1 2 :6,  and  then  note  the  prophet's 
comment  on  the  people's  answer  in  vss.  7-11. 

2.  From  the  book  of  Hosea  can  you  draw  any  other  lesson 
than  this,  that  a  man  may  sin,  or  a  nation  may  plunge  itself  into 
iniquity,  until  it  is  powerless  to  stop?  Here  is  the  crux  of  the 
whole  matter:  A  man,  by  decree  of  Almighty  God,  has  in  his 
own  hand  the  power  to  make  his  life  or  to  blast  it;  he  may  live 
on  in  indifference,  in  indulgence  of  open  sin,  in  bitterness  of 
heart,  in  denial  of  God,  until  his  will  loses  the  power  to  accept 
pardon.  Yet  God  waits  with  yearning  love  for  the  prodigal  to 
come  home.  There  are,  alas,  prodigals  innumerable  who  cannot 
return ;  prodigals  who  have  lost  the  power  to  take  the  first  step 
on  the  homeward  journey.  The  appeal  to  pride  is  of  little  avail, 
for  there  is  hardly  a  spark  of  self-respecting  pride  left;  the  call 
to  conscience  only  bores  them,  for  their  conscience  is  stone  deaf; 
the  love  and  anguish  of  the  Father's  heart  evokes  at  best  only  a 
sentimental  tear;  through  a  human  world  of  unspeakable  riches, 
they  wander  with  empty  souls. 

3.  Read  Matt.  12:31-33.  What  is  the  unpardonable  sin  men- 
tioned in  these  verses?  Is  it  a  word  spoken  at  one  time  against 
the  Holy  Spirit,  or  is  it  an  attitude  of  self-centered  indifference 
to  the  voice  of  God  speaking  evermore  within  us  ?  To  whom  were 
the  words  of  Jesus  addressed?  Is  Israel's  experience  an  illus- 
tration of  this  same  fact  of  human  experience? 


47 


VII.     THE    SIN   AGAINST   LOVE. 
Sixth  Day.     The  Responsibility  of  Love. 

1.  In  the  progress  of  human  thought  and  feeling,  that  is,  in 
the  unfolding  of  what  is  deepest  in  humankind,  the  greatest  con- 
ception of  God's  nature  that  can  take  captive  the  mind  and 
heart  of  man  is  none  other  than  that  which  Hosea  spent  himself 
so  completely  to  proclaim,  namely,  that  God  is  love.  It  is  this 
that  makes  Hosea  the  evangelist  of  the  early  world. 

2.  It  is  an  event  of  tremendous  importance  when  a  man  first 
realizes  that  God  is  love.  The  very  fact  that  love  is  His  nature, 
and  that  love  is  the  ruling  principle  of  His  kingdom,  means  not 
only  a  wide  privilege,  but  a  deep  responsibility.  What  truth  is 
set  forth  in  Hosea's  attitude  toward  Gomer?  Recall  how  he 
loved  her  (3:1,  2),  and  what  agony  her  disloyalty  caused  him. 
Love  unanswered  brings  bitter  pain  to  him  who  loves.  If  it  be  so 
for  us,  what  must  it  be  for  God  ? 

3.  But  there  is  also  another  side  to  the  matter.  The  fact  that 
God  loves  us,  and  has  given  us  the  power  of  loving,  means  that 
we  should  use  that  power.  Failing  to  use  it,  we  lose  it.  "Extirpa- 
tion by  disuse"  is  one  of  the  most  indubitable  laws  of  life.  Cf. 
9:17.  He  that  refuses  to  live  the  life  of  love,  becomes  hard,  sel- 
fish, cynical;  alien  not  only  to  his  human  nature,  but  alien  also 
to  God. 

"Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another;  for  love  is  of  God;  and  every 
one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of  God,  and  knoweth  God 
Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and 
sent  his  son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins.  Beloved,  if  God 
so  loved  us,  we  also  ought  to  love  one  another."  I  John  4:7^ 
10,  11. 


48 


VII.     THE   SIN   AGAINST   LOVE. 
Seventh  Day.     "My  God  will  cast  them  away." 

1.  But  though  God  is  love,  He  does  not  force  a  man  to  love 
Him,  or  even  to  recognize  His  love.  The  power  of  moral  choice 
God  gave  man  when  He  made  him  in  His  own  image  and  started 
him  on  the  highway  of  life.  Would  it  have  been  better  for  man 
had  he  been  created  unfree?  It  is  the  prophet's  deepest  sorrow 
that  the  love  which  God  yearns  to  bestow  is  not  Israel's  glad 
choice.    Review  Hos.  7:13;  9:10;  11:1,  2,  3,  12. 

2.  "That  is  the  peril  and  terror  of  this  love,  that  it  may  be 
to  a  man  either  heaven  or  hell.  Believe  then  in  hell,  because  you 
believe  in  the  love  of  God,  not  in  a  hell  to  which  God  condemns 
men  of  His  will  and  pleasure,  but  a  hell  into  which  men  cast 
themselves  from  the  very  face  of  His  love  in  Jesus  Christ.  The 
place  has  been  painted  as  a  place  of  fires.  But  when  we  contem- 
plate that  men  come  to  it  with  the  holiest  flames  in  their  nature 
quenched,  we  shall  justly  feel  that  it  is  rather  a  dreary  waste  of 
ash  and  cinder,  strewn  with  snow — some  ribbed  and  frosty  Arctic 
zone,  silent  in  death,  for  there  is  no  life  there,  and  there  is  no 
life  there  because  there  is  no  love,  and  no  love  because  men,  in 
rejecting  or  abusing  her,  have  slain  their  own  power  ever  again 
to  feel  her  presence."    G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

3.  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one 
another;  even  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another. 
By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another."    John  13:34,  35. 

"He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is 
that  loveth  me;  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved  by  my 
Father,  and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself  unto  him." 
John  14:21. 

"Then  shall  he  (the  Son  of  Man)  say  also  unto  them  on  the 
left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  the  eternal  fire  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels ;  for  I  was  hungry  and  ye  did 
not  give  me  to  eat;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink;  I  was 
a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in;  naked  and  ye  clothed  me  not; 
sick  and  in  prison  and  ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also 
answer,  saying.  Lord,  when  saw  Ave  thee  hungry  or  athirst,  or  a 
stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto 
thee?  Then  shall  he  answer  them,  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  these  least,  ye  did  it 
not  unto  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  eternal  punishment; 
but  the  righteous  into  eternal  life."     Matt.  25:41-46. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  70- 
76.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Part  I,  Chaps. 
18-23. 

49 


STUDY    VIII.     ISAIAH'S    CALL   TO    BE    A    PROPHET. 
First  Day.     The  Historical  Situation. 

1.  While  Amos  and  Hosea  were  struggling  in  the  northern 
kingdom  to  lead  their  people  to  a  higher  morality  and  a  purer 
faith,  there  was  growing  up  in  Jerusalem,  the  chief  city  of  the 
southern  state,  a  loyal,  ambitious  youth  whose  fiery  sermons 
against  political  intrigue,  moral  abuses  and  perverted  faith  were 
destined  to  shake  the  Hebrew  nation  from  border  to  border.  This 
youth  was  Isaiah,  son  of  Amoz,  the  first  statesman-prophet. 

2.  During  what  reigns  did  Isaiah  live  and  prophesy?  Read 
Is.  1:1  and  cf.  6:1.  Can  you  recall  from  your  study  of  Amos 
what  King  Uzziah  had  accomplished  for  Judah?  If  not,  read  II 
Chron.  26:1,  5,  15.  Under  Uzziah  Israel's  natural  resources  had 
been  developed,  her  commerce  built  up,  her  territory  enlarged, 
and  her  defenses  strengthened.  Can  you  imagine  what  effect  the 
life  and  power  of  such  a  king  would  have  upon  an  ambitious  boy? 

3.  Likewise,  the  world  at  large  which  Isaiah  could  study  from 
his  vantage  point  in  Jerusalem  must  have  deeply  influenced  his 
growing  ambition.  The  larger  world  was  Western  Asia  and  a 
corner  of  Africa.  Study  map.  The  great  empires,  Assyria  and 
Egypt,  in  some  ways  counterparts  of  each  other,  were  at  the  two 
ends  of  the  known  world.  Each  nation  was  afraid  of  the  other. 
Each  was  jealous  of  the  other's  progress.  Between  them  lay  the 
country  of  the  Phoenicians,  strong  in  its  wealth  and  commerce. 
Upon  this  nation  and  her  confederated  colonies  and  trading  posts, 
both  Assyria  and  Egypt  looked  with  covetous  eyes.  Inland  from 
the  coast  territories  of  the  Philistines  were  Israel  and  Judah  and 
their  sister  states,  small  and  compact,  sometimes  independent, 
sometimes  tributary  to  either  Assyria  or  Egypt.  Within  Judah 
clamored  social  and  political  problems  like  those  that  aroused  the 
activity  of  Amos  and  Hosea  in  the  north. 

4.  Assyria's  hands  were  tied  by  Babylonia,  Assyria's  former 
master,  but  now  a  rebellious  subject  state.  Egypt  dared  not  move 
northward  because  of  her  own  internal  dissensions.  All  the  little 
states  between  the  two  turned  now  toward  the  great  Assyrian 
power  on  the  east,  and  now  to  the  less  reliable  Egypt  on  the 
southwest,  hoping  that  if  they  were  attacked  by  one  they  would 
be  rescued  by  the  other.  Among  these  states  of  the  ancient  world, 
thus  closely  thrown  together  and  thus  jealous  of  each  other,  not 
one  state  could  move  without  stirring  a  wave  of  fear  throughout 
the  rest. 

50 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL  TO   BE   A  PROPHET. 
Second  Day.     The  Vision  of  Jehovah. 

1.  It  is  easy  to  appreciate  the  feeling  of  false  security  that 
came  to  Judah  in  such  troublous  times  through  the  strong  and 
able  rulership  of  King  Uzziah.  In  the  year  740,  however,  after 
a  long  and  prosperous  reign,  Uzziah  died.  His  son,  Jotham,  a 
prince  with  few  of  the  qualities  of  his  father,  succeeded  him. 
This  fact,  and  the  insecurity  in  the  world  politics  of  the  day, 
enable  one  to  understand  the  feeling  of  apprehension  in  the  minds 
of  the  more  thoughtful  in  Judah. 

2.  In  this  same  eventful  year,  Isaiah  stepped  forth  from  his 
obscurity.  Now  his  hero  worship  ceases ;  now  he  puts  away  youth- 
ful dreams,  and  becomes  a  man,  for  the  sake  of  the  nation  in  dis- 
tress. It  was  in  this  year  that  he  saw  his  vision  and  heard  his 
call.  Where  was  he  standing?  Read  Is.  6:1.  Read  the  account 
of  the  vision  in  vss.  1-4.  What  is  the  central  figure  in  the  vision? 
Who  surround  Him  and  how  are  they  described  ?  What  attributes 
do  they  ascribe  to  God?  Were  such  ideas  of  God  common  among 
the  Hebrews?  Cf.  Ex.  3:1-5;  I  Sam.  6:20.  What  do  you  think 
the  angelic  host  meant  by  "holiness"?  What  effect  did  the  vision 
have  upon  Isaiah?  Read  vs.  5.  Why  did  the  prophet  feel  his 
unworthiness ?  Why  does  he  feel  that  his  "lips"  rather  than  his/ 
hands,  are  unclean?     Recall  the  prophetic  function. 

3.  Why  do  you  think  the  vision  came  to  Isaiah  in  the  temple? 
It  was  the  place  of  the  people's  worship ;  but  how  had  they  treated 
it?  Read  Is.  1 :13.  Was  it  not  here  that  the  prophet's  conscience 
had  been  most  aroused?  What  a  wonderful  vision  this  is!  How 
it  breaks  beyond  the  shaking  threshold  and  temple  confines !  How 
the  language  struggles  to  express  the  inner  spiritual  apprecia- 
tion of  the  holiness  and  majesty  of  God!  Standing  on  the  earth 
the  young  Isaiah  has  looked  into  heaven;  in  the  midst  of  his 
people's  sin  he  has  seen  a  vision  of  what  they  ought  to  be;  con- 
scious of  his  own  unworthiness,  he  has  been  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  transcendent  holiness  of  God;  and  the  vision  has 
crushed  him. 

4.  Nor  is  it  altogether  different  to-day.  God  is  ever  seeking I 
to  give  us  visions  of  Himself  and  of  our  duty.  Sometimes  they 
rise  out  of  the  ashes  of  our  own  past  mistakes.  Sometimes  they ' 
flood  in  upon  us  as  we  enter  the  door  of  a  great  opportunity. 
Sometimes  they  flash  upon  us  as  we  stand  before  an  appalling 
crisis.  What  form  will  the  vision  take  when  it  comes  to  you? 
That  will  depend  on  where  you  are  and  what  you  are  doing  and 
the  clearness  of  your  sight.  Perhaps  it  may  come  to  you  as  a  new 
and  inspiring  vision  of  the  holiness  of  God,  or  of  the  purity  of 
the  Christ: 

"  No  face:  only  the  sight 
Of  a  sweepy  garment,  vast  and  white, 
With  a  hem  that  I  could  recognize." 

51       Browning's  Christmas  Eve. 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL  TO  BE   A  PROPHET. 
Third  Day.     "Here  am  I,  send  me." 

1.  It  was  not  enough  for  Isaiah  to  have  the  vision  of  God's 
holiness.  Before  he  could  go  out  to  his  work  there  must  come 
to  him  a  call  and  a  commission.  But  how  can  he  be  first  freed 
from  the  consciousness  of  sin? 

2.  Read  Is.  6:6,  7.  Does  Isaiah,  following  the  custom  of  the 
time,  offer  an  animal  sacrifice  in  the  temple?  What  does  he  do? 
Is  this  a  symbol  of  real  repentance  ?  Instead  of  beholding  the 
body  of  some  victim  burning  for  his  sin,  he  feels  that  from  his 
own  sinful  lips  the  fire  of  purification  must  burn  the  guilt  away. 
"In  the  Divine  Presence,  Isaiah  is  his  own  altar;  he  acts  his  guilt 
in  his  own  person,  and  so  he  feels  the  expiatory  fire  come  to  his 
very  self  directly  from  the  heavenly  hearth."  Like  all  true  re- 
pentance it  is  personal  and  from  the  heart. 

3.  Now  that  the  sin  has  been  purged  away,  Isaiah  can  hear 
the  call  of  God.  And  to  this  voice  he  makes  answer.  Read  vs.  8. 
Does  God  call  Isaiah  or  does  he  issue  a  general  call?  Does  he 
try  to  force  Isaiah  to  do  this  work  for  him?  In  what  spirit  does 
Isaiah  make  answer,  and  what  is  the  significance  of  his  accept- 
ance? 

4.  Then  follows  the  commission.  It  is  the  solemn  charge  of 
God  to  the  servant  who  has  taken  upon  himself  the  pledge  to 
work  for  Him.  Read  carefully  vss.  9-13.  What  do  you  think 
then  is  the  meaning  of  the  commission  in  vss.  9,  10?  Do  you 
think  God  actually  told  Isaiah  to  make  this  charge  to  his  people? 
Notice  the  implication  that  all  the  natural,  God-given  faculties 
shall  be  turned  to  a  use  contrary  to  that  for  which  they  were 
originally  intended.  Do  you  think  that  this  accords  with  the 
holiness  and  love  of  God  ? 

5.  May  this  not  be  the  interpretation:  that  the  story  of 
Isaiah's  call  was  written  late  in  his  ministry  in  order  to  give  his 
faithful  disciples  some  account  of  the  way  in  which  he  became  a 
prophet,  and  that  he  naturally  read  into  the  account  the  character 
of  the  reception  which  the  people  gave  his  message  ?  The  people 
had  spurned  him,  despised  his  entreaties  and  rejected  his  coun- 
sels. During  the  long  and  dreary  years  through  which  he  walked 
alone,  still  must  he  hear  God's  voice.  Though  the  hearts  of  the 
people  be  fat  and  unimpressionable;  though  the  eyes  of  the  peo- 
ple be  dim  that  they  cannot  see;  though  their  ears  be  heavy 
that  they  cannot  hear;  yet  he  has  seen,  heard  and  accepted  his 
commission,  and  therefore  he  cannot  turn  back. 


52 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL   TO   BE   A  PROPHET. 
Fourth  Day.     Isaiah's  Apprenticeship. 

1.  Chapters  2  to  4,  in  their  present  form,  give  us  three  pictures 
of  the  capital  city,  Jerusalem.  They  are  the  impressions  which 
the  problems  of  the  city  and  nation  have  made  upon  the  sensitive 
prophetic  consciousness.  The  first  and  third  portray  the  ideal  city 
of  God,  the  second  the  real  Jerusalem  of  Isaiah's  day. 

2.  Read  Is.  2:2-4.  How  is  the  city  pictured?  What  will 
Jerusalem's  position  be  among  the  nations  of  the  earth?  In  what 
spirit  will  they  recognize  Jehovah?  What  position  will  Jehovah 
have  among  the  nations  of  the  earth  ?  What  wonderful  picture  is 
contained  in  vs.  4  ?  It  is  the  picture  of  the  universal  kingdom  of 
God,  with  Jerusalem  as  its  center. 

3.  But  alas,  how  unlike  this  ideal  picture  is  the  real  Jerusalem  ! 
Suddenly  the  picture  changes.  Compare  the  following  verses  and 
note  carefully  the  searching  contrasts  between  the  ideal  and  the 
actual.  Compare  vss.  5  and  6  with  vs.  3.  Compare  the  worship 
described  in  vs.  8  with  that  of  vs.  3.  Read  vss.  7,  9-1 1,  and 
compare  with  vs.  4.  Read  vss.  12-19,  and  contrast  with  vs.  2. 
Remember  with  what  exaltation  Isaiah  went  forth  from  the  vision 
in  the  temple  to  begin  his  work.  How  often  a  man's  most  ambi- 
tious dreams  take  flight  before  the  grovelling  actual.  And  yet, 
no  true  prophet  blinks  the  facts  or  is  cowed  by  them,  however 
appalling  they  may  be. 


53 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL  TO  BE   A  PROPHET. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Seeds  of  National  Decay. 

1.  The  black  cloud  of  anarchy  overshadowed  the  city.  Read 
Is.  3:1-3.  The  substantial  elements  of  the  city's  life  were  passing 
away.  What  was  the  real  character  of  Judah's  rulers  ?  Cf .  vs.  4. 
Instead  of  justice  and  mercy,  what  principles  governed  men  in 
their  relations  with  one  another?  Vs.  5.  Where  were  the  rulers? 
Read  vss.  6,  7.  What  a  dramatic  picture  of  the  pass  to  which 
society  has  come ! 

2.  Now  comes  the  proclamation  of  the  calamity  so  often  an- 
nounced by  Amos  and  Hosea.  Cf.  vs.  8.  Jerusalem  must  fall. 
Read  again  chapter  2 :2.  How  far  away  this  is  from  the  ideal 
picture !  How  it  must  have  hurt  Isaiah,  the  noble  patriot,  to  utter 
such  a  prophecy !  Could  it  have  seemed  other  than  heresy  and 
treason  thus  to  predict  the  end  of  all  that  had  been  holiest  and 
best  in  his  nation's  history?  Jerusalem  must  fall.  It  is  not 
Isaiah's  judgment;  it  is  God's  judgment  through  him.  "The 
eyes  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  burn  through  every  rank  and  con- 
dition of  society  until  all  lies  bare  and  open."  Cf .  Chapter  2  :9. 
None  escapes,  whether  righteous  or  wicked.  Read  3:9-11.  Who 
are  to  blame  for  it  all?     Read  vss.  12-15. 

3.  With  bitter  sarcasm  Isaiah  lays  bare  the  vanity  of  the 
women  of  the  city.  Read  rapidly  3:16  to  4:1.  How  unprofitable 
seemed  all  such  vanities  when  the  city  was  about  to  perish.  This 
display  covered,  but  did  not  conceal,  cruel  and  corrupt  hearts; 
but  now  even  the  more  natural  cravings  of  the  heart  for  marriage 
and  motherhood  would  be  denied.  Cf.  4:1.  The  daughters  of 
Israel  had  forgotten  that  they  were  daughters  of  God. 


54 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL   TO   BE   A   PROPHET. 
Sixth  Day.     The  Vision  of  the  Restored  City. 

1.  An  ordinary  patriot  would  have  been  overwhelmed  with 
despondency,  but  the  inspired  prophet  sees  beyond  present  con- 
ditions, and  dark  though  they  are,  beholds  for  the  future  a  vision 
of  good.  Read  carefully  Is.  4:2-6.  In  what  respect  does  this 
picture  correspond  to  the  one  found  in  2:2-4?  Note  the  quiet 
simplicity  of  the  verses,  the  humility,  the  sense  of  rest  after  the 
storm.  Note  the  national  pride  in  2:2.  Is  there  any  such  pride 
in  4:2-6?  Note  the  exaltation  of  the  city  in  2:2-3.  Is  the  city 
itself  glorified  in  4 :2-6  ?  Note  the  relative  prominence  of 
Jehovah's  activity  in  the  two  passages.  Compare  also  the  ab- 
sence of  any  reference  to  a  divine  judgment  upon  Jehovah's 
people  in  2:2-4,  and  its  fundamental  importance  as  a  means  to 
salvation  in  4:2-6.  Read  carefully  4:4-5,  and  note  the  result  of 
God's  work  as  described  in  4:3. 

2.  Here  is  the  prospect  of  the  city,  redeemed  and  restored. 
It  is  not  the  sentimental  outlook  of  a  disillusioned  realist;  it  is 
not  the  fancy  of  an  ecstatic  dreamer;  it  is  a  vision  of  spiritual 
triumph,  of  victory  through  the  grace  and  power  of  God. 

3.  Grant,  O  Holy  One,  that  the  foul  stains  of  our  cities  may 
be  washed  away.  May  Thy  spirit  of  justice  burn  away  the  evil 
and  reveal  the  good.  Inspire  in  each  heart  a  deep  sense  of  the 
responsibility  and  sanctity  of  citizenship.  May  the  ties  of  broth- 
erhood and  mutual  helpfulness  bind  together  all  classes.  Help 
those  who  are  called  to  rule  to  act  justly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to 
walk  humbly  before  Thee,  the  Source  of  all  justice  and  love. 
Help  us  to  be  faithful  citizens  of  both  Thy  earthly  and  Thy 
heavenly  kingdoms.  This  we  ask  in  the  name  of  Him  who  wept 
over  the  sins  of  the  ancient  city.    Amen. 


'5$ 


VIII.     ISAIAH'S   CALL  TO   BE  A  PROPHET. 
Seventh  Day.     The  Underlying  Principles. 

1.  The  call  of  the  prophet  and  the  three-fold  vision  may  mir- 
ror your  life  and  mine.  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  have  your  heart 
burn  within  you,  to  be  lifted  clear  above  yourself,  to  be  blessed 
with'  the  vision  of  the  man  you  may  be  and  ought  to  be?  Per- 
haps the  vision  has  been  evoked  by  some  dear  memory  of  the 
past;  perhaps  it  has  overtaken  you  in  the  throng  and  press  of 
life,  or  in  the  solitude  of  the  woods,  or  as  you  have  walked  under 
the  stars;  perhaps  it  has  come  in  response  to  some  master  strain 
of  music  or  some  master  word  of  life;  perhaps  it  has  lifted 
itself  unbidden,  as  you  have  faced  heroically  some  painful  trial 
in  your  own  life  or  some  call  to  difficult  duty  for  the  common 
weal.  Cherish  the  vision,  however  it  has  come ;  it  is  the  immortal 
in  you !  It  is  a  holy  visitant  to  shame  away  your  sordidness  and 
selfishness  and  sin,  and  liberate  all  your  powers  for  the  service 
of  Him  who  loves  us  and  gives  Himself  to  us. 

2.  Perhaps  the  vision  has  transformed  your  life  and  sent  you 
forth,  as  it  sent  Isaiah,  with  a  sense  of  noble  mission.  And 
have  you,  likewise,  met  the  shock?  Has  ignorance  and  misery 
wrung  your  heart;  has  luxury  smiled  a  sickly  smile  at  your 
plea  for  simpler  life;  has  low-browed  corruption  and  canting 
greed  undermined  your  effort  for  social  well-being;  has  Worldly- 
wise  sneered  at  your  holiest  ideals;  has  doubt  held  in  derision 
your  faith  both  in  man  and  God;  have  you  met  all  this  and  felt 
it  to  the  bottom  of  your  soul — then  rejoice  and  be  glad,  you 
are  of  the  great  and  noble  company  of  prophets  who  hold  the 
future  of  the  world  in  their  hands. 

3.  "I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the  faith;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness,  that  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give 
me  at  that  day;  and  not  to  me  only  but  unto  all  them  also  that 
love  His  appearing."    II  Tim.  4:7,  8. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  79- 
91 ;  Isaiah,  His  Life  and  Times,  in  the  Men  of  the  Bible  series. 
Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  pp.  127-133.  G.  A.  Smith, 
Book  of  Isaiah,  Vol.  I,  Part  I,  Chaps.  2,  4. 


56 


STUDY   IX.     ISAIAH'S   SOCIAL  SERMONS. 
First  Day.     The   Social   Conditions   in  Judah  and   Their 

Causes. 

1.  In  the  realistic  vision  of  the  present  Jerusalem  (Cf.  Study 
VIII.,  Fifth  Day),  Isaiah  disclosed  some  of  the  social  evils  which 
had  become  a  fatal  menace  to  Judah's  life.  Recall  the  lack  of 
sturdy  leaders  in  public  positions  (Is.  3:2),  the  want  of  sym- 
pathy on  the  part  of  one  class  for  another  (3:5),  the  foolish 
extravagance  and  love  of  display  (3:1 6),  the  merciless  treatment 
of  the  poor  at  the  hands  of  the  rich  (3:15). 

2.  In  this  study  we  shall  take  up,  step  by  step,  some  of  the 
more  glaring  social  abuses  which  Isaiah's  sensitive  mind  was 
quick  to  see;  we  shall  notice  how  apparently  oblivious  were  the 
people  themselves  to  the  conditions  threatening  them  and  to  the 
punishment  impending. 

3.  But  what  were  the  causes  of  these  deep-seated  social 
abuses?  Is.  2:8  contains  more  than  a  passing  suggestion  of  the 
difficulty.  What  light  does  2:17  shed  upon  the  problem?  What 
is  the  thought  in  3:12  in  its  relation  to  the  present  question? 
But  why  do  all  such  secondary  causes  as  these  references  ex- 
emplify exist  ?  Is  the  fundamental  difficulty  similar  to  that  which 
Hosea  described?  Cf.  Hosea  4:6  and  review  Study  VII.,  Third 
Day.     Then  read  Is.  5:13. 

4.  What  great  teaching  have  Hosea  and  Isaiah  here  given  to 
their  world  and  to  ours  ?  Formulate  it  in  your  own  words.  What 
is  the  core  of  the  teachings  of  Christ?  Cf.  Paul's  testimony  in 
Ephesians  1:15-17:  "For  this  cause  I  also,  having  heard  of  the 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  which  is  in  you,  and  the  love  which  ye 
show  toward  all  the  saints,  cease  not  to  give  thanks  for  you,  mak- 
ing mention  of  you  in  my  prayers,  that  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Father  of  glory,  may  give  unto  you  a  spirit  of  wisdom 
and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  Him." 


57 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL   SERMONS. 
Second  Day.     The  Parable  of  the  Vineyard. 

1.  Since  the  general  denunciation  of  Judah's  social  vices  (dis- 
cussed in  last  week's  study),  the  people  had  probably  consid- 
ered and  discounted  its  truth.  In  the  chapters  now  before  us,  we 
shall  find  that  Isaiah  explains  more  carefully  and  emphasizes 
more  completely  the  truths  already  proclaimed. 

2.  The  difficulty  was  the  same  as  that  to  which  Amos  referred. 
Read  Amos  3 :2.  To  the  task  of  overcoming  the  popular  fallacy, 
the  young  prophet  Isaiah  brings  remarkable  tact.  He  first  com- 
mands attention  by  requesting  permission  to  sing  a  vineyard  song. 
The  theme  and  the  meter,  associated  as  they  were  with  the  most 
joyful  event  in  Isaiah's  life,  at  once  attract  attention.  Read 
Is.  5:1-7.  In  imagination  we  can  see  the  people  crowding  about 
him  as  he  sings  of  the  vineyard  on  the  fruitful  hill.  While  they, 
like  David  of  old  before  Nathan,  are  nodding  assent  to  the 
prophet's  questions  (vss.  3-6),  quick  as  a  flash  comes  the  per- 
sonal application,  and  behold  (vs.  7)  they  stand  condemned  by 
their  own  witness. 

3.  Notice  the  fidelity  of  the  parable  to  the  relation  between 
Judah  and  God.  Reflect  upon  God's  care  for  Israel  through 
leaders  and  prophets.  Does  it  seeem  natural  that  God's  love  and 
watchfulness  should  eventuate  in  "wild  grapes"?  Think  of  all 
that  God  and  Christ  have  done  for  our  nation  and  for  ourselves. 
Read  again  Is.  5  :7.  If  oppression  and  misery  and  crime  follow 
upon  God's  husbandry,  is  not  the  fact  unnatural?  God  has  done 
His  part  for  the  vineyard.     What  have  we  tried  to  do  ? 


58 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL   SERMONS. 
Third  Day.     The  Fruits  of  Reckless  Selfishness. 

1.  But  the  parable  of  the  vineyard  must  be  interpreted  and 
applied.  Isaiah  has  told  his  audience  that  the  vineyard  contains 
only  wild  grapes.  He  now  explains  what  the  wild  grapes  are. 
His  explication  is  expressed  in  a  series  of  passionate  "woes." 
Read  Is.  5:8-10,  17-  How  would  you  phrase  in  your  own  words 
this  "woe"?  Does  Micah  2:2  suggest  the  answer?  Remember 
that  the  parable  of  the  vineyard  lays  bare  a  misuse  of  God's 
husbandry.  The  first  woe  deals  with  the  abuse  of  a  divine  trust. 
It  is  the  misuse  of  land  and  property  privileges.  Notice  that 
Isaiah  says  nothing  about  the  peculiar  land  laws  of  his  people. 
He  lays  down  principles.  And  principles,  if  they  be  true,  are 
valid  for  every  age  and  civilization.  There  is  danger  present, 
says  Isaiah,  when  the  rich,  absorbing  easily  the  land  and  prop- 
erty of  the  many,  fatten  themselves  upon  their  own  possessions, 
and  the  poor  have  no  place  to  lay  their  heads  and  no  means  of 
satisfying  their  hunger.  Isaiah  suggests  no  legal  remedy,  but 
he  asserts  that  the  use  of  land  and  property  is  of  concern  to  God 
and  that  all  men  have  the  right  to  an  equality  of  opportunity. 

2.  In  vss.  11-16  Isaiah  describes  the  second  social  evil.  We 
have  noticed  that  in  the  first  woe  the  crime  of  the  rich  was  a  sel- 
fish appropriation  of  the  nation's  limited  natural  resources. 
Against  what  is  this  second  woe  directed?  Wherein  does  the 
great  danger  lie  ?  What  is  the  direct  result  of  this  abuse  of  one's 
own  life?  Read  vss.  12,  13.  Isaiah's  strong  figure  (vs.  14) 
has  lost  none  of  its  pertinence.  The  disease  and  poverty  and 
crime  which  statistics  heap  upon  the  drink  evil  haunt  thoughtful 
men  to-day;  here  in  our  midst  "Sheol  has  enlarged  its  desire  and 
opened  its  mouth  without  measure." 

3.  Isaiah's  third  woe  concerns  those  who  put  forth  all  their 
energies  in  wrongdoing  (vs.  18),  and  then  defy  Jehovah  to 
smite  them  (vs.  19).  The  fourth  woe  is  directed  against  Israel's 
sophists  (vs.  20)  who  declare  their  evil  actions  good  and  thus 
pervert  their  own  moral  sense  and  that  of  the  community.  The 
fifth  woe  (vs.  21)  is  against  those  who  are  too  full  of  self-satis- 
fied conceit  to  appreciate  their  own  ignorance  and  moral  depravity. 
Again,  in  vs.  22,  the  prophet  reverts  to  those  who  devote  them- 
selves to  strong  drink  and  thereby  corrupt  the  fountains  of  jus- 
tice. Then,  in  an  announcement  of  speedy  retribution  (vs.  24), 
such  as  one  would  expect  from  Amos  or  Hosea,  we  get  the  mean- 
ing of  the  "wild  grapes"  parable.  The  cause  of  the  blighted 
fruitage  is  not  greed  alone  nor  appetite  alone;  it  lies  deeper 
than  both;  it  is,  "Because  they  have  rejected  the  instruction  of 
Jehovah  and  despised  the  word  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel." 

59 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL    SERMONS. 
Fourth  Day.     The  Anger  of  the  Lord. 

1.  The  prophet's  description  of  God's  judgments  upon  Israel 
is  cast  in  titanic  language.  "The  elements  of  nature  and  the  ele- 
mental passions  of  man  have  been  let  loose  together;  and  we 
follow  the  violent  floods,  remembering  that  it  is  sin  that  has 
burst  the  gates  of  the  universe,  and  given  the  tides  of  hell  full 
course  through  it.  Over  the  storm  and  battle  there  comes  boom- 
ing like  the  storm  bell  the  awful  refrain,  'For  all  this  His  anger 
is  not  turned  away,  but  His  hand  is  stretched  out  still.'  "  G.  A. 
Smith,  Isaiah. 

2.  Read  Is.  5:25.  To  what  does  "therefore"  refer?  Note 
the  realistic  description  of  the  earthquake.  How  may  an  earth- 
quake verify  God? 

3.  What  effect  did  such  calamities  produce  upon  the  people 
of  Israel?  Read  9:8-10.  Disaster  fails  to  make  some  people 
thoughtful.  Israel  evidently  tried  to  forget  both  the  calamity 
and  the  cause.  What  new  reminder  of  His  power  does  God  send 
upon  them?     Read  9:11-12.     Note  the  significance  of  vs.  13. 

4.  In  9:14-17  Isaiah  describes  the  devastations  of  war.  Who 
is  at  fault  for  this  war?  Upon  whom  does  the  horror  of  the 
defeat  fall?  Why  has  the  Lord  no  pity  on  the  young  men, 
widows  and  orphans?  The  horrors  of  war  reveal  how  closely 
bound  together  are  the  fortunes  of  all  classes  in  a  community. 
Not  even  God  himself  could  protect  the  widows  and  orphans 
from  the  consequences  of  the  errors  committed  by  the  nation's 
leaders. 

5.  In  9:18-21  the  prophet  describes  the  horrors  of  internal 
anarchy.  Read  thoughtfully  vss.  19,  20.  The  animal  fire  of  men 
has  been  fanned  into  a  hot  flame  until  they  rave  like  beasts  of 
the  field  or  roar  like  the  lions  of  the  desert.  The  scene  is  like 
the  anarchy  of  the  Roman  proscriptions,  or  the  fury  of  the  French 
Revolution,  where  each  party  sought  the  life  blood  of  its  rival, 
forgetting  to  cover  its  own  throat  in  its  murderous  attack. 

"  If  that  the  heavens  do  not  their  visible  spirits 
Send  quickly  down  to  tame  these  vile  offenses 
'T  will  come 

Humanity  must  preforce  prey  on  itself 
Like  monsters  of  the  deep." 

King  Lear. 


co 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL    SERMONS. 
Fifth  Day.    The  Fate  of  the  Lawless  Nation. 

1.  Isaiah  turns  to  the  future  and,  with  prophetic  insight,  de- 
clares the  coming  fate  of  the  lawless  nation.  He  is  speaking 
to  his  own  countrymen  in  Judah.  What  is  the  reason  for  this 
threat  of  captivity?  Cf.  Is.  10:1-2.  Do  not  read  these  verses 
as  the  deliverances  of  a  fanatical  reformer.  Do  not  treat  them 
either  as  the  mere  iteration  of  Amos  and  Hosea.  Such  men  do 
not  clamor  for  trifling  causes  nor  struggle  for  unattainable 
dreams.  Injustice,  oppression,  grinding  poverty  cry  out  to 
heaven,  and  they  demand  an  answer.  What  shall  the  answer 
be?  The  unjust  countrymen  of  Isaiah  make  no  answer.  Read 
10:3-4.  What,  therefore,  does  he  prophesy?  What  is  to  be 
their  fate? 

2.  But  the  nature  of  the  captivity  must  be  explained.  Je- 
hovah has  tried  in  every  way  to  touch  the  conscience  of  the  nation. 
It  will  not  respond.  What  does  he  new  do  in  5:26?  How  do  the 
enemies  of  Israel  answer  his  call?  5:27.  Read  the  grim  account 
of  their  attack;  note  also  their  readiness  for  battle  and  almost 
animal-like  appetite  for  blood.  5 :27-29-  One  verse  tells  the 
story  of  the  conflict,  5 :30.  Through  all  the  recital  one  feels  the 
roll  of  the  dread  word, 

"  For  all  this  His  anger  is  not  turned  away, 
And  His  hand  is  stretched  out  still." 

3.  The  stern  warning  against  the  dangers  of  sin  had  been 
sounded  over  and  over  again.  Israel  made  one  response  only. 
Read  9:10.  Her  answer  was  an  answer  of  proud  derision.  She 
was  blind  to  the  real  nature  of  her  calamity.  Wise  is  the  man 
or  nation  that  knows  how  to  act  under  the  stress  of  trial;  to  at- 
tempt to  ignore  it  or  to  mistake  its  meaning  is  blind  folly;  to 
listen  humbly  to  its  message  is  to  hear  the  entreaty  of  God 
Himself. 


61 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL    SERMONS. 
Sixth  Day.    The  Later  Portrait  of  the  Perfect  King. 

1.  Investigation  of  social  conditions  not  infrequently  pro- 
duces a  pessimistic  attitude  toward  the  prevailing  social  system. 
An  agitator  seizes  at  random  an  odious  fact,  and  uses  it  as  the 
text  for  a  sermon  against  those  who  are  rich  or  those  who  are 
in  authority.  A  prophet,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  a  mere  icono- 
clast. To  be  worthy  the  name  of  prophet  he  must  know  things 
as  they  are;  he  must  also  trace  the  relation  of  existing  conditions 
to  their  causes.  He  must,  further,  have  a  definite  and  worthy 
ideal  and  be  able  to  point  out  the  way  to  attain  it. 

2.  Thus  far  in  this  study,  Isaiah's  efforts  have  been  directed 
mainly  to  the  denunciation  of  social  evils.  It  was  evidently  his 
purpose  to  arouse  the  conscience  of  his  nation  to  a  higher  mor- 
ality and  a  greater  sense  of  individual  and  social  responsibility. 
The  nation  made  no  satisfactory  response.  But  one  thing  more 
remains,  namely,  to  present  the  ideal  of  what  ought  to  be.  The 
question  whether  this  was  done  by  Isaiah  or,  as  is  held  by  a  grow- 
ing body  of  scholars,  by  one  of  his  later  disciples,  is  unimportant; 
the  ideal  is  best  studied  in  the  light  of  its  present  setting. 

3.  It  will  not  be  difficult  to  understand  the  character  of  this 
ideal,  if  we  keep  in  mind  the  definite  situation  which  Isaiah's  ser- 
mons revealed.  Read  Is.  3:1,  2,  15.  Read  7:1,  2.  What  was 
Israel's  sorest  need?  It  is  noticeable  that  these  pictures  of  the 
Perfect  King  have  for  their  present  background  the  reign  of 
Ahaz.  Ahaz  was  selfish,  cowardly,  a  traitor  to  the  best  interests 
of  his  nation.  The  nation  was  likely  to  fall  a  prey  to  Assyria  or 
Egypt.  The  crisis  demanded  an  able,  brave,  considerate  leader. 
The  picture,  therefore,  is  of  the  Ideal  King,  the  Perfect  Leader, 
who  shall  rally  the  nation  and  save  it  from  anarchy  within  and 
the  invader  from  without. 

4.  Study  the  first  picture  in  9:1-7.  Determine  what  this  King 
shall  do.  Notice  the  contrast  between  the  dark  background  of 
Ahaz's  reign  and  the  light  of  the  coming  day.  The  burden  of  the 
oppressor  shall  be  broken;  war  shall  be  no  more.  Cf.  II.  Sam. 
7:8-16.  What  is  the  new  King's  four-fold  name?  The  name  de- 
scribes the  character  of  the  perfect  ruler.  Contrast  "Wonderful 
Counsellor"  with  the  foolishness  of  Ahaz;  "God-like  Hero"  with 
the  cowardly  acts  of  Judah's  reigning  king;  "Everlasting  Father" 
with  Ahaz's  selfish  disregard  for  the  welfare  of  his  subjects; 
"Prince  of  Peace" — the  one  who  will  bring  strength  and  harmony 
into  life — with  the  warlike  policy  of  Israel's  leaders.  None  of 
Israel's  later  rulers  realized  this  exalted  ideal,  until  at  last  the 
Perfect  Prince  of  Peace  established  his  eternal  rule,  not  at  Jeru- 
salem, but  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men. 

62 


IX.     ISAIAH'S    SOCIAL    SERMONS. 
Seventh  Day.     The  Ideal  King  and  Kingdom. 

1.  A  companion  picture  is  found  in  Is.  11:1-5.  What  is  the 
meaning  of  the  figure  in  vs.  1  ?  How  is  this  prince  distinguished 
from  the  rulers  whom  Isaiah  denounced?  Study  the  attitude  of 
this  new  ruler  toward  the  poor  and  the  wicked.  With  what 
spirit  will  he  rule?  What  is  his  relation  to  God?  Notice  that 
he  "will  not  judge  according  to  that  his  eyes  see  or  his  ears  hear." 

2.  Read  also  the  character  of  the  ideal  kingdom  as  set  forth 
in  11:6-10.  It  is  to  be  the  great  era  of  peace,  the  golden  age 
when  even  the  hostility  of  the  brute  creation  shall  give  way  to 
love. 

3.  But  there  is  a  further  element  to  these  prophetic  portraits 
which  later  generations  have  cherished.  Back  of  this  ideal  picture 
there  is  the  steadfast  faith  of  a  man  who  knows  that  Jehovah  is 
a  living  God.  However  weak,  however  hopeless  the  condition  of 
the  nation  or  the  character  of  the  king,  he  always  knows  that 
God  lives  and  that  his  "zeal"  will  make  the  wrong  things  right. 
"Some  day,"  said  the  faith  of  this  God-inspired  prophet,  "the 
ideal  will  be  realized,  salvation  will  come,  and  men  will  gladly 
call  their  deliverer,  Wonderful  Counsellor,  Mighty  God,  Everlast- 
ing Father,  Prince  of  Peace.  That  was  as  far  as  the  prophetic 
insight  and  faith  could  anticipate  the  Divine  purpose. 

4.  But  to  us  has  been  vouchsafed  a  fuller  knowledge.  The 
revelation  which  to  Israel  was  but  a  glimmer  on  the  edge  of  the 
night  breaks  as  a  glorious  sunrise  in  Jesus  Christ.  In  the  light  of 
that  life  we  know  what  God  is  and  what  man  is,  and  the  knowledge 
inspires  us  with  courage  and  cheer. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  92- 
95.  Cornill,  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  56-70;  Isaiah,  His  Life 
and  Times,  in  the  Men  of  the  Bible  series.  Kent,  History  of 
the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II.  pp.  1 31-140.  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of 
Isaiah,  Vol.  I,  Book  I,  Chaps.  3,  5,  7. 


STUDY  X.     ISAIAH'S   ACTIVITY   IN   THE   CRISIS   OF 

737  B.  C. 
First   Day.     The  Situation. 

1.  About  the  year  737  B.  C.  the  king  of  Judah  consummated 
an  alliance  with  Assyria  which  was  destined  to  work  destruction 
in  the  land  of  the  "chosen  people."  Isaiah  has  recorded  only 
the  briefest  summary  of  the  events.  Read  Is.  7:1.  Uzziah,  the 
benign  and  powerful  monarch,  had  been  dead  three  years.  His 
grandson,  Ahaz  was  now  on  the  throne.  He  was  a  "perfect  t}Tpe 
of  the  Oriental  despot,  capricious,  extravagant,  profligate,  cruel, 
acknowledging  only  his  own  will  as  the  highest  law."     Cornill. 

2.  A  more  detailed  story  of  the  situation  is  depicted  in  II. 
Kings  16.  Vss  1-4  describe  Ahaz's  personal  character  and  the 
nature  of  his  rule.  Samaria  and  Aram  (incorrectly  called  Syria) 
had  been  trying  to  effect  a  Pan-Syrian  alliance  against  Assyria. 
Evidently  they  had  tried  to  induce  Ahaz  to  enter  their  coalition. 
This  he  refused  to  do.  Aroused  by  Ahaz's  weakness  and  cow- 
ardice, and  bitterly  revolting  against  the  tribute  which  they  had 
been  forced  to  pay  Assyria,  Rezin,  king  of  Aram,  and  Pekah, 
king  of  Samaria,  planned  a  joint  attack  against  Judah.  Find 
Samaria,  Damascus  and  Judah  on  the  map.  The  attention  of  the 
king  of  Assyria  had  been  absorbed  for  two  years  by  events  in  the 
Far  East;  but  it  was  the  wildest  folly  for  such  small  kingdoms 
to  weaken  themselves  by  internal  warfare  when  such  a  mighty 
conqueror  was  eager  for  spoil. 

3.  The  joint  attack  was  partially  a  success.  Judah  was 
driven  out  of  Edom  and  Jerusalem  threatened  with  siege.  In 
his  distress  Ahaz  appealed  to  Tiglath-Pileser,  king  of  Assyria, 
for  help.  It  was  speedily  given.  Read  II.  Kings  16:7-9.  A 
little  later  Samaria  and  Aram  were  conquered  and  made  subject 
States.  Ahaz  had  invited  the  aid  of  the  great  conqueror.  The 
fatal  alliance  had  been  consummated  and  sealed  with  tribute 
money.  Cf.  II.  Kings  16:8.  This  decision  of  Ahaz  vitally  af- 
fected Judah's  political  and  religious  life  for  the  next  thirty 
years.    We  shall  now  see  what  part  Isaiah  took  in  the  crisis. 


64- 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Second  Day.     Isaiah's  Interview  with  Ahaz. 

1.  Ahaz's  dangerous  plotting  reached  the  ears  of  Isaiah.  Is. 
7:2  reveals  the  temerity  of  both  king  and  people.  The  king 
and  his  advisers  were  making  preparations  for  the  siege,  and 
Ahaz  was  inspecting  the  city's  water  supply.  Isaiah,  with  his 
son — whose  prophetic  name,  Shear-jashub,  means  a  remnant  shall 
return — met  the  king  at  the  upper  pool.     Read  7  :S. 

2.  The  most  profitable  method  of  studying  Isaiah's  conduct 
in  this  crisis  is  to  contrast  it  with  that  of  Ahaz.  What  is 
Isaiah's  advice  in  7:4?  "Damascus  and  Aram,"  he  says,  "are 
only  stumps  of  smoking  firebrands.  Do  you  think  they  can  set 
Judah  on  fire?"  Read  vss.  5-9-  "The  head  of  Aram  is  Damascus, 
and  the  head  of  Damascus  is  Rezin.  Are  you  afraid  of  him? 
Take  unto  you  the  shield  of  faith.  You  have  lost  your  head 
among  all  these  things.  Hold  it  up  like  a  man  behind  that 
shield;  take  a  rational  view  of  affairs.  Rate  your  enemies  at 
their  proper  value.  Believe  in  God.  Faith  in  Him  is  the  essen- 
tial condition  of  a  calm  mind  and  a  rational  appreciation  of  af- 
fairs."    G.  A.  Smith,  Isaiah. 

How  transcendent  a  faith  this  seems  beside  the  timorous  cow- 
ardice of  Ahaz.  Ahaz's  vision  could  penetrate  no  farther  than 
the  attack  of  Samaria  and  Aram.  Isaiah  could  see  Assyria,  and 
back  of  everything,  God.  "Faith"  was  his  watchword.  God  was 
over  everything.  "See  Him,"  he  said  repeatedly,  "and  all  else 
will  appear  in  its  true  proportions."  Is  not  this  true  in  all  the 
crises  of  life,  whether  they  be  great  or  small?  How  can  we  gain 
a  clear  vision  of  God  and  keep  that  vision  undimmed? 

"Once  to  every  man  and  nation  comes 
The  moment  to  decide 
In  the  strife  of  Truth  and  Falsehood, 
For  the  good  or  evil  side." 


6$ 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Third  Day.     The  Sign  to  the  King. 

1.  Ahaz  had  determined  upon  his  policy.  He  could  not  be 
persuaded  to  alter  it.  He  believed  that  Assyria  offered  the  only 
solution  to  the  impending  disaster.  With  confidence  born  of 
God,  Isaiah  made  one  more  appeal.  Read  vs.  10.  It  was  a 
brave  challenge  from  the  prophet  of  faith:  "Ask  a  sign  any- 
where of  Jehovah,  thy  God.  He  will  reveal  to  you  the  danger  of 
this  plan." 

2.  Was  the  belief  in  signs  firmly  fixed  in  the  days  of  the 
prophets?  Read  I  Sam.  12:17-18;  I  Kings  13:1-3.  To  whom 
were  signs  usually  given  and  for  what  purpose?  Recall  Jesus' 
teaching  as  you  attempt  to  answer  the  question.  Who  demanded 
the  signs  from  Him  and  what  was  His  answer?  Read  Matt. 
12:38-39.  Sometimes  a  crisis,  or  the  stupidity  and  prejudice  of 
those  in  authority,  seem  to  make  necessary  a  sign  from  heaven 
that  truth  may  be  established  and  confidence  restored.  Signs  are 
sometimes  used  to  force  faith.  It  is  by  their  attitude  toward 
signs  that  men  are  distinguished  from  each  other;  an  appeal  to 
conscience  and  service  is  enough  for  wise  and  true  men ;  the  weak 
and  halting  must  see  a  visible  sign. 

3.  What  do  you  think  Ahaz  meant  by  his  reply  in  vs.  12? 
Read  now  the  prophet's  answer,  and  note  the  sign  which  he  gives. 
Here  again  is  a  sharp  contrast.  Isaiah  wanted  Ahaz  to  ask  for 
a  sign  of  salvation.  The  sign  which  Isaiah  is  forced  to  give  is 
the  exposure  of  the  fatality  of  Ahaz's  choice.  Read  vss.  13-17- 
Can  you  explain  Isaiah's  riddle?  A  young  woman  shall  bring 
forth  a  child,  and  he  shall  eat  curds  and  honey — the  food  of  pri- 
vation— (cf.  vss.  21,  22)  and  before  the  child  shall  reach  the 
age  of  discretion  the  land  of  Aram  and  Samaria  shall  be  laid 
waste,  and  Judah  shall  be  the  spoil  of  Assyria. 

4.  Read  again  vs.  14.  The  name  of  the  child  is  Immanuel, 
God-with-us.  How  dear  the  hope  of  a  glorious  Davidic  prince 
had  been  to  Israel's  heart!  And  now  "Ahaz  had  by  his  unbelief 
not  only  disestablished  himself;  he  had  mortgaged  the  hope  of 
Israel.  .  .  .  His  resolve  will  devastate  the  golden  future  and 
disinherit  the  promised  king."  G.  A.  Smith,  Isaiah.  So  one 
man's  obstinacy  becomes  a  nation's  ruin;  and  one  man's  folly  a 
death  of  hope.  How  great  a  solidarity  exists  in  every  society. 
"No  man  liveth  to  himself  and  no  man  dieth  to  himself." 


60 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Fourth  Day.     Isaiah's  Predictions  Regarding  Judah. 

1.  Isaiah  goes  on  to  disclose  the  shortsightedness  of  the 
king's  policj\  What  a  cost  Judah  must  pay  for  this  temporary 
rescue!  In  Is.  7:18-25  Isaiah  gives  a  series  of  pictures  which 
describe  the  oncoming  desolation.  How  would  you  characterize 
them  in  your  own  words?  Read  7:18-19.  What  is  the  picture 
in  7:20?  Note  the  picture  of  extreme  destitution  in  vss.  21-22. 
Remember  that  curds  and  honey  are  the  food  of  privation.  What 
a  picture  of  complete  desolation  is  given  in  vss.  23-25 !  But  to 
all  these  appeals  the  king  makes  no  answer. 

2.  The  truth  which  Isaiah  has  revealed  to  his  monarch  with 
such  ill  success  must  be  heralded  abroad  that  the  people  may  see 
and  act  themselves.  This  was  always  Isaiah's  method.  He  re- 
garded the  people  as  ultimately  responsible;  and  by  their  judg- 
ment he  felt  that  the  nation  must  stand  or  fall. 

3.  Read  8:1-4.  Note  the  graphic  manner  in  which  Isaiah 
makes  known  his  unwelcome  prediction.  What  is  the  significance 
of  the  "great  tablet"  ?  He  is  to  write  upon  it  in  the  language  of 
the  common  people  that  it  may  thus  be  recognized.  Look  up  the 
marginal  reading  for  the  meaning  of  the  name  which  is  given  the 
prophet's  son.  It  is  a  harsh  sounding,  crashing  word,  and  one 
can  hear  in  it  the  coming  of  the  distant  foe.  Within  a  year  or 
two  (vs.  4)  the  enemies  of  Judah  shall  be  the  spoil  of  the  Assyrian 
conqueror. 

4.  Are  you  not  impressed  by  the  certainty  with  which  Isaiah 
delivered  this  message?  How  can  you  account  for  such  confi- 
dence as  he  manifests  in  the  truth  of  his  prediction  ? 


67 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Loss  of  National  Enthusiasm. 

1.  A  weak  and  often-subject  nation  frequently  regards  its 
own  resources  and  power  as  of  little  consequence  in  comparison 
with  the  superior  strength  of  the  nations  which  surround  it.  The 
growing  nation  is  similar  to  the  growing  boy.  There  is  a  time, 
after  he  comes  in  contact  with  the  world,  when  all  his  former 
plans  and  friends  seem  cheap,  and  he  affects  a  more  ambitious 
manner  and  more  assuming  companionships.  Judah  had  come 
in  contact  with  the  great  Eastern  civilizations.  How  poor  she 
seemed  to  herself,  how  cramped  and  dwarfed  her  little  aqueduct 
"Shiloah"  (Is.  8:6),  when  compared  with  the  rivers  of  Samaria 
and  Aram. 

2.  There  was  danger  in  such  a  policy,  as  Isaiah  hastens  to 
point  out.  Read  8:5-8.  What  will  be  the  effect  of  this  search 
for  outside  help?  It  was  a  great  calamity  for  a  people  to 
lose  its  enthusiasm  for  the  native  land  in  which  its  youth  was 
spent  and  its  strength  developed.  It  was  a  worse  thing  to  lose 
the  faith  in  God  that  was  the  foundation  and  the  inspiration  of 
that  national  patriotism. 

3.  Yet  through  it  all  Isaiah  never  loses  his  vision.  It  is  the 
same  vision  that  he  saw  in  the  temple,  the  vision  of  God's  power 
and  holiness.  What  matters  it  that  the  people  take  counsel  to- 
gether, vss.  9,  10?  God  had  spoken,  and  He  was  with  Judah. 
He  could  neither  conspire  with  them  nor  share  their  fear,  vs.  1 1 . 
Only  one  in  all  the  world  shall  be  feared  or  worshipped — Jehovah 
of  hosts,  vs.  12.  Note  the  striking  figure  in  vss.  14,  15.  The 
stone  could  be  an  altar  of  safety  to  those  who  recognized  it;  or 
a  stone  of  stumbling  to  those  who  knew  it  not. 

4.  Throughout  Isaiah's  theology  we  find  the  thought,  "A  rem- 
nant shall  return."  Whenever  Isaiah  feels  that  judgment  is  in- 
evitable and  that  sure  destruction  is  coming,  he  always  utters  the 
heaven-born  hope  of  the  noble  remnant — the  future  Kingdom  of 
God.  So  here,  vss.  16-22,  he  gathers  about  him  a  band  of 
kindred  spirits,  whom  he  calls  his  disciples,  to  "bind  up  the  testi- 
mony and  seal  the  law"  for  him  and  them.  They  shall  be  a 
refuge  in  the  times  when  wise  men  fail  and  prophets  cease,  vss. 
19,  20.  In  the  reactionary  days  of  Manasseh  and  in  the  great 
reformation  of  Josiah,  Isaiah's  faith  in  his  disciples  was  amply 
justified. 

5.  Countless  are  the  men  and  women  who  have  been  kept  and 
inspired  by  the  testimony  which  is  "bound  up"  in  the  Bible.  It 
has  been  the  palladium  of  sober,  honest,  righteous  living  through- 
out the  centuries. 

"  O  Word  of  God  incarnate, 

O  Wisdom  from  on  high, 
O  Truth,  unchanged,  unchanging, 

O  light  of  our  dark  sky; 
We  praise  Thee  for  the  radiance 

That  from  the  hallowed  page, 
A  lantern  to  our  footsteps 

Shines  on  from  age  to  age." 

68 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Sixth   Day.     Isaiah's   Pictorial   Sermons. 

1.  We  shall  turn  for  a  little  from  the  events  of  the  crisis  of 
737  B.  C,  in  which  Isaiah's  warnings  were  disregarded,  to  the 
other  crisis  in  711  B.  C,  in  which  he  humiliated  himself  for  the 
sake  of  his  nation.  The  Assyrians  had  fastened  their  yoke  upon 
Judah,  as  Isaiah  had  foretold.  In  715  B.  C.  Ahaz  was  succeeded 
by  his  own  son  Hezekiah,  a  man  who  was  easily  influenced  by  his 
councillors.  The  national  party,  which  favored  an  alliance  with 
Egypt  in  order  to  throw  off"  the  Assyrian  bondage,  attained 
supremacy  over  the  king.  Sargon  was  king  of  Assyria.  He 
was  a  brilliant  warrior-king,  whose  campaigns  were  replete  with 
victorious  conquests.      It  was  folly  to  revolt  against  him. 

2.  When  in  711  B.  C.  the  national  party  was  about  to  yield 
to  the  promises  of  Egypt,  Isaiah  acted  out  one  of  his  most  striking 
pictorial  sermons.  Read  chapter  20.  Isaiah  appeared  in  the 
streets  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  What  did  his  action  symbolize? 
How  would  it  affect  the  people?  Here  again  Isaiah,  as  in  chap- 
ter 8,  has  taken  his  case  before  the  bar  of  the  people.  It  was  a 
way  of  challenging  the  people  to  come  and  reason  together. 
Egypt  was  a  "big  mouthed,  blustering  power,  believed  in  by  the 
mob ;  to  expose  her  Isaiah  must  resort  to  a  public,  picturesque  and 
persistent  advertisement." 

3.  Compare  the  different  methods  used  by  Isaiah  to  impress 
his  message  on  the  minds  of  the  people.  The  influence  of  the 
prophets  depended  not  only  on  the  greatness  of  their  message,  but 
upon  the  great  devotion  with  which  they  used  every  legitimate 
means  to  proclaim  it.  Isaiah  cared  so  much  for  his  people  that 
he  willingly  faced  ridicule  and  the  danger  of  being  misunder- 
stood, provided  only  the  truth  might  find  expression.  Have  we 
any  such  devoted  prophets  in  our  day?  Cite  some  definite 
examples. 


69 


X.     ISAIAH'S  ACTIVITY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  737  B.  C. 
Seventh  Day.    Isaiah's  Work  as  a  Statesman. 

1.  Review  the  work  for  the  week  and  write  out  your  concep- 
tion of  the  statesman-like  qualities  which  Isaiah  has  revealed  in 
these  crises. 

2.  In  what  instances,  under  review,  do  you  think  he  manifested 
courage,  tact,  patience,  far-sightedness  or  faith? 

3.  In  his  political  activities  Isaiah  impresses  one  as  primarily 
a  man  of  faith.  He  saw  things  in  their  right  proportions  and 
with  true  perspective.  Amid  false  public  confidence  and  blind 
fear  and  confusion,  he  kept  a  steadfast  policy  and  an  unfaltering 
faith.  It  was  not  faith  in  public  men,  for  they  were  faithless ; 
it  was  not  merely  faith  in  the  people,  for  they  did  not  respond  to 
:t.  It  was  always  faith  in  a  supreme,  holy  God.  "God,"  to 
Isaiah,  "was  all,  man  was  nothing."  Isaiah  had  a  clearly  grasped 
conception  of  universal  history,  for  he  felt  that  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  were  under  God's  rule,  and  that  they  could  never  suc- 
cessfully oppose  His  great  world-purpose.  It  was  such  a  vision, 
such  a  faith,  that  made  him  fearless  in  this  crisis. 

4.  Isaiah  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  God.  How  it  disarms  men  of 
fear,  prejudice  and  obstinacy  when  they  have  such  supreme  faith. 
"Let  men  believe  that  life  has  a  central  authority,  that  God  is 
supreme,  and  they  will  fling  their  prejudices  and  superstitions  to 
the  winds.  When  we  know  that  God  reigns,  how  quiet  and  free  it 
makes  us.  When  things  and  men  are  part  of  His  scheme  and 
working  out  His  ends,  when  we  understand  that  they  are  not 
monsters  but  ministers,  how  reasonably  we  can  look  at  them !  By 
the  reasonable  government  of  God,  let  us  be  reasonable !  Let  us 
take  heed  and  be  quiet.  Have  faith  in  God  and  to  faith  will  come 
her  proper  consequent  of  common  sense."     G.  A.  Smith,  Isaiah. 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  96- 
102.  Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  141-150. 
G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  Isaiah,  Vol.  I,  Part  I,  Chap.  6. 


ffO 


STUDY    XL     THE     TRIUMPH    OF    ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
First  Day.     The  Historical  Situation  in  701   B.  C. 

1.  In  the  year  701  B.  C.  took  place  the  great  political  crisis 
of  Isaiah's  life.  King  Hezekiah  had  been  on  the  throne  for  four- 
teen years.  For  forty  years  Isaiah  had  been  engaged  in  his  pro- 
phetic ministry.  During  all  those  years  Isaiah  had  predicted 
with  varying  intensity,  but  with  ever-increasing  certainty,  first, 
the  Assyrian  invasion  of  Palestine,  and  later  the  fatal  conse- 
quences of  rebellion  against  this  invincible  power.  Recall  the 
grounds  for  these  predictions.  What  had  been  the  prevailing 
attitude  of  both  Assyria  and  Egypt  toward  the  smaller  countries 
which  lay  between  them?  How  would  Judah  withstand  such  an 
invasion  of  Assyria?  Recall  the  criticisms  of  her  social  life,  the 
inability  of  her  leaders,  and  the  temper  of  her  people.  Read  Is. 
2:S;  3:1-4;  3:5;  7:1-2. 

2.  Isaiah's  account  of  the  events  of  the  year  is  supplemented 
by  the  annals  of  Sennacherib,  a  work  which  will  be  discussed  in 
the  fourth  day's  study.  The  events  are  also  described  in  II. 
Kings  18:13-16.  Sennacherib,  in  his  plan  of  invasion  of  Pales- 
tine, began  with  the  Phoenician  cities.  Thence,  marching  south- 
ward by  the  level  coastland,  he  met  his  most  formidable  enemy, 
Egypt,  in  the  southern  part  of  Palestine.  Having  put  to  rout  the 
Egyptian  forces,  he  despatched  a  portion  of  his  army  to  overrun 
Judah  and  Jerusalem.  The  long-dreaded  siege  of  the  city  began. 
Judah,  like  Northern  Israel,  had  sown  the  wind,  and  now  must 
reap  the  whirlwind  (Hos.  8:7). 


w 


XL     THE   TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
Second  Day.     The  Hour  of  Jerusalem's  Visitation. 

1.  Already  the  Assyrian  army  had  arrived  in  Palestine.  The 
little  Judean  kingdom  was  shaking  with  fear  from  border  to 
border.  The  mighty  warrior  Sennacherib  was  leading  his  con- 
quering hosts  against  her;  soon  she  must  actually  see  the  glare 
of  burning  cities,  the  bands  of  armed  horsemen  and  the  flash  of 
glittering  steel.  Sober  reflection  gave  way  to  wild  tumult; 
patriotism  yielded  to  intrigue.  The  king's  courage  failed  and  the 
hearts  of  the  people  sank  within  them.  Well  may  they  now  re- 
member the  prophetic  words  of  Isaiah !  Read  Is.  5 :26-30  and 
10:1-4. 

2.  To  whom  could  the  people  appeal  for  assistance?  Dire 
calamity  usually  drives  a  community  to  worship  God.  And  the 
form  of  worship  will  be  the  form  with  which  the  people  are 
acquainted.  One  can  hear  the  cry  throughout  the  city,  "To  the 
sanctuaries  of  Jehovah,  to  the  sacrifices  of  burnt  offerings;  per- 
chance these  may  save  us."  What  is  Isaiah's  terrible  rebuke? 
Read  Chap.  1:10-15.  What  a  fearful  answer  to  the  cry  of  his 
clamoring  people!  "When  ye  spread  forth  your  hands,  I  will 
hide  mine  eyes  from  you ;  yea,  when  ye  make  many  prayers,  I  will 
not  hear:  your  hands  are  full  of  blood."  The  prophetic  lesson  this 
people  would  not  learn ;  now,  alas,  the  time  is  past ! 

3.  There  was  one  other  quarter  to  which  the  nation  might 
appeal.  For  many  years  Egypt  had  made  flattering  advances  to 
Israel.  But  now  Egypt  also  goes  down  in  disgraceful  defeat; 
and  when  the  news  of  this  disaster  reached  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
it  seemed  as  if  the  city's  own  deathknell  had  been  tolled.  Read 
Is.  22:1-4  for  the  prophet's  statement  of  the  lost  hope. 

4.  All  through  his  life  Isaiah  had  been  struggling  against 
these  two  dangers :  the  formal  worship  of  Jehovah  and  the  alliance 
with  Egypt.  In  the  hour  of  threatening  danger  his  efforts  had 
proved  unavailing,  and  now  Assyria  was  thundering  at  the  gates. 
The  crisis  had  come,     The  people  were  powerless  to  meet  it. 


72 


XI.     THE   TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S   FAITH. 
Third  Day.    The  City  in  Despair. 

1.  The  whole  city  was  in  confusion.  Few  stopped  to  reason 
out  the  cause.  Few  were  calm  enough  to  suggest  plans  of  action 
or  means  of  escape.  The  words  of  Isaiah  are  bitter  and  piercing. 
Read  slowly,  and  aloud  if  possible,  Is.  1 :2-8.  Notice  the  con- 
victing power  of  the  language.  What  is  Isaiah's  analysis  of  the 
situation  and  to  what  folly  does  he  attribute  it? 

2.  Read  1:21-23.  Do  not  these  revelations  of  the  city's  cor- 
ruption make  clear  the  reason  for  the  lack  of  faith  and  instability 
of  purpose  manifesting  itself  in  these  crises?  The  life-long 
habits  of  a  community  or  of  an  individual  betoken,  unmistakably, 
the  manner  in  which  severe  tests  will  be  endured. 

3.  The  city  does  precisely  what  we  should  expect  it  to  do. 
Read  carefully  22:5-14.  Notice  in  vs.  13  the  philosophy  which 
despair  often  begets.  "Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we 
shall  die."  The  city  has  lost  its  hope,  it  has  also  lost  its  faith; 
it  has  never  sincerely  trusted  God,  it  cannot  trust  Him  now.  So 
it  gives  itself  over  to  voluptuous  self-indulgence.  In  the  face  of 
such  a  condition  Isaiah  can  hold  out  little  promise.  "Surely  this 
iniquity  shall  not  be  forgiven  you  till  ye  die,  saith  the  Lord 
Jehovah  of  Hosts."  How  truly  had  been  fulfilled  the  words  of 
the  prophet  uttered  in  connection  with  his  call,  "Go  and  tell  this 
people,  Hear  ye  indeed,  but  understand  not;  and  see  ye  indeed, 
but  perceive  not.  Make  the  heart  of  the  people  fat,  and  make 
their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes,  lest  they  see  with  their 
eyes  and  hear  with  their  ears  and  understand  with  their  heart,  and 
turn  again  and  be  healed."     Is.  6:9-10. 


73 


XI.     THE   TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
Fourth  Day.     The  Fall  of  the  City. 

1.  The  calamity  which  the  prophets  had  predicted  overtook 
Israel.     Read  Amos  6:7;  9:7-10;  Hosea  5:13-15;  Isaiah  7:18-19. 

2.  The  results  of  the  siege  are  attested  (1)  by  the  Hebrew 
record  in  II  Kings  18:13-16,  and  (2)  by  the  two  duplicate  ver- 
sions of  Sennacherib's  account  which  are  preserved  in  the  British 
Museum.     The  Assyrian  narrative  reads: 

"But  Hezekiah  of  Judah,  who  had  not  submitted  to  my  yoke, 
forty-six  of  his  fortified  towns,  together  with  the  innumerable 
fortresses  and  small  towns  in  their  neighborhood,  with  assault 
and  battering  rams  and  approach  of  siege-engines,  with  the  attack 
of  infantry,  of  mines  ...  I  besieged  and  captured.  Two 
hundred  thousand,  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  persons,  young  and 
old,  male  and  female,  horses,  mules,  asses,  camels,  oxen  and  sheep, 
without  number,  from  their  midst  I  brought  out  and  counted  them 
as  spoil.  I  shut  him  (Hezekiah)  up  like  a  bird  in  a  cage  in  the 
midst  of  Jerusalem,  his  royal  city.  .  .  .  The  terror  of  the 
glory  of  my  lordship  overwhelmed  Hezekiah  himself,  and  the 
nations,  and  his  trusted  soldiers,  whom  he  had  introduced  for  the 
defense  of  Jerusalem,  his  royal  city,  laid  down  their  arms."  For 
a  fuller  account  of  the  invasion  see  Vol.  II,  pp.  499-502,  Kent's 
Student's  Old  Testament. 

3.  Isaiah's  predictions  had  been  fulfilled;  but  he  did  not 
assert  the  fact  triumphantly.  Read  Is.  1:18,  16,  17-  Notice 
how  he  gathered  the  king  and  people  together.  He  became  their 
counsellor.  Nothing  was  undertaken  without  his  knowledge  and 
advice.  In  a  song  of  triumph,  of  hope  and  of  faith,  he  brings 
the  people  before  God  in  prayer.  Read  33:1-6.  Amid  the  deso- 
lation of  a  conquered  city  he,  or  some  one  of  his  late  disciples, 
sees  rising  a  glorious,  restored  Jerusalem  (33:17-24).  Only 
divinely  given  courage  and  faith  can  inspire  such  a  spirit  in  the 
face  of  disaster. 


74 


XL     THE   TRIUMPH  OF   ISAIAH'S   FAITH. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Last  Temptations  of  Faith. 

1.  The  Assyrian  inscriptions,  together  with  the  discovery  of 
recent  fragmentary  texts,  seem  to  indicate  that  Sennacherib 
undertook  another  western  campaign  some  ten  years  later.  His 
goal  was  the  conquest  of  Egypt,  and  he  was  unwilling  to  leave 
such  a  strong  fortress  as  Jerusalem  behind  him  in  the  hands  of 
Egypt's  former  ally.  Accordingly  he  demanded  an  unconditional 
surrender.  This  time  Judah  had  right  on  her  side.  Curiously 
enough  the  engagement  was  not  to  be  one  of  arms,  but  of  speech, 
a  contest  between  the  "subtlest  arguments  of  the  world  and  the 
bare  word  of  God." 

2.  The  story  of  this  struggle  is  given  in  Isaiah  36.  Read 
vss.  1-3.  Note  that  bothffthe  kings  of  Assyria  and  Judah  are  rep- 
resented by  ambassadors.  The  rabshakeh,  the  deputy  from  the 
king  of  Assyria,  is  a  proud,  clever,  diplomatic  demagogue.  Note 
his  arguments. 

3.  What  clever  thrust  does  he  make  in  vss.  4-6?  Remember 
what  a  sore  spot  this  was  to  Judah's  leaders.  Note  the  attack 
which  he  makes  in  vss.  7-10,  and  the  knowledge  he  displays  of 
Judah's  internal  affairs.  First  he  makes  sport  of  the  fact  that 
their  king  has  compelled  them  to  give  up  the  worship  of  Jehovah, 
except  at  the  Jerusalem  altar.  Then  he  boldly  says  that  their 
God  is  aiding  his  army  in  its  conquests. 

4.  There  was  danger  in  such  an  agitation  of  the  common 
people.  The  ambassadors  of  the  king  of  Judah  become  terrified. 
What  do  they  beg  the  rabshakeh  to  do  in  vss.  11-12;  why  and 
with  what  results  ?  His  answer  to  this  request  is  but  added  plain- 
ness of  speech  to  the  common  people  and  soldiers,  who  are  dread- 
ing the  horrors  of  a  siege.  What  tempting  proposition  does  he 
make?  Vss.  13-17.  What  convincing  argument  from  actual 
facts  does  he  deduce  in  vss.  18-20?  What  do  Hezekiah's  repre- 
sentatives now  do?     Vss.  21-22. 

5.  What  a  bitter  temptation  this  was  to  give  up  a  nation's 
faith  and  a  nation's  God.  The  horrors  of  siege  were  imminent. 
Was  it  worth  while  to  stand  out  for  a  narrow  principle  when  a 
"broader  way"  was  presented?  Flow  often  such  temptations  come 
to  men  to  give  up  their  most  sacred  principles  and  beliefs  for  a 
more  worldly  method  of  life.  There  is  extreme  danger  in  it. 
Beware  of  the  rewards  that  are  offered.  They  may  lead  to 
slavery.  "To  the  heart  of  man  there  will  always  be  captivity  in 
selfishness;  there  will  always  be  exile  in  unbelief." 


75 


XI.     THE   TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
Sixth  Day.    The  Victory  Through  Faith. 

1.  Hezekiah  and  his  counsellors  were  mourning  within  the 
gates  of  the  city.  They  were  powerless  to  suggest  any  means  of 
escape  from  the  Assyrian  army.  Their  representatives  returned 
from  the  interview  and  reported  the  proposition  of  the  rabshakeh. 
Is.  37:1  tells  how  the  king  and  his  counsellors  received  the  tidings. 
Had  the  nation  gone  mad?  Had  it  lost  all  faith  in  the  God  of 
its  fathers? 

2.  What  does  Hezekiah  do  according  to  vss.  2-4?  "The  chil- 
dren are  come  to  birth,  and  there  is  not  strength  to  bring  forth." 
It  is  the  disconsolate  cry  of  one  whose  faith  is  so  weak  that  the 
impulses  and  plans  which  it  conceives  can  never  be  born  into 
action.  It  is  with  no  great  confidence  that  he  sends  his  message 
to  the  prophet,  vs.  4.  Consider  the  effect  which  Isaiah's  answer, 
in  vss.  5-7,  would  have  upon  the  king.  The  rabshakeh  is  discom- 
fited, and  he  returns  to  his  master. 

3.  It  is  the  hour  of  the  greatest  political  crisis.  If  Hezekiah 
yields  to  the  demands  of  Assyria,  he  must  forfeit  Jerusalem.  If 
he  refuses,  the  army  is  ready  to  thunder  at  the  gates.  Note  care- 
fully his  action.  Was  Isaiah  responsible  for  Hezekiah's  action? 
Read  vss.  14-20.  In  what  spirit  is  the  prayer  offered,  and  with 
what  earnest  desire? 

4.  Through  the  prophet  comes  the  answer  from  Jehovah. 
How  clear  and  reassuring  it  is!  Read  vss.  21-25.  Notice  the 
confidence  of  the  city  in  the  newly-found  power  of  God.  Against 
whom  are  all  these  threats  uttered?  How  do  vss.  26-29  answer  to 
vs.  10?  Read  vss.  30-32.  They  voice  the  eternal  hope  of  the 
remnant  of  Israel.  In  vss.  33-38  Isaiah  once  more  confidently 
asserts  his  belief  that  the  Assyrian  army  will  go  away  and  never 
more  return. 

5.  What  will  the  result  be?  Will  Isaiah's  pleading  and 
prayers  and  prophecy  and  faith  in  Jehovah  be  of  no  avail? 
Witness  his  triumph!  Through  his  calm  faith  the  nation  was 
saved  from  humiliating  surrender.  Read  the  Hebrew  version  of 
the  deliverance,  vss.  36-38.  Herodotus  states  that  an  army  of 
field  mice  came  in  the  night  and  ate  up  the  quivers  and  bow- 
strings of  the  Assyrians  and  they  fled  in  rout;  the  Assyrian  annals 
speak  of  Sennacherib's  hosts  retreating  to  Nineveh.  The  Hebrew 
records  rightly  recognize  Jehovah's  hand  in  the  sudden  deliver- 
ance. Whatever  be  the  exact  facts,  we  know  that  Jerusalem  was 
left  unharmed.  This  was  Isaiah's  last  triumph — the  triumph  of 
faith  in  God,  which  enabled  one  man  to  withstand  an  army  and 
save  his  own  city  and  people.  Upon  his  own  and  later  ages  it 
made  a  profound  impression,  but  it  was  not  Isaiah's  greatest  vic- 
tory.    Read  again  Is.  6:1-8. 

76 


XI.     THE   TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
Seventh  Day.    Isaiah's  Work  as  a  Prophet  of  Faith  in  God. 

"  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength, 
A  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble. 
Therefore  will  we  not  fear,  though  the  earth  do  change, 
And  though  the  mountains  be  shaken  into  the  heart  of  the  seas; 
Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled, 
Though  the  mountains  tremble  with  the  swelling  thereof." 

1.  This  might  well  have  been  the  text  of  Isaiah's  whole  min- 
istry. In  every  crisis  through  which  he  passed,  whether  of  social 
corruption  or  political  upheaval,  he  always  proclaimed  the  un- 
changeable holiness,  power  and  love  of  God. 

2.  As  you  review  the  studies  in  Isaiah's  life  as  here  outlined, 
search  for  this  element  of  unflinching  faith.  Consider,  in  this 
connection,  Study  VIII,  days  2,  3  and  6;  Study  IX,  days  6  and 
7;  Study  X,  days  3,  4  and  5;  and  all  of  Study  XI. 

3.  Isaiah  moves  among  his  disheartened  fellows  as  one  differ- 
ent from  all  the  rest.  Yet  there  is  nothing  other-worldly  about 
him.  He  is  altogether  human.  But  he  is  living  the  transformed 
life.  His  feet  are  walking  the  streets  of  the  city ;  but  his  thought 
is  fixed  on  God.  His  heart  breaks  for  the  sins  and  faithlessness 
of  his  countrymen,  but  his  soul  pays  allegiance  to  the  Divine 
King.  God  had  not  taken  him  out  of  the  world.  He  had  kept 
him  in  it,  and  from  its  evil.  He  was  of  the  world,  yet  above  it. 
What  a  beacon-light  was  he  in  the  dark  and  weary  land ! 

4.  Review  Isaiah's  life  work:  (1)  as  a  statesman;  what  was 
his  advice  at  the  great  crises  of  737,  711,  701  and  690  B.  C.  ? 
(2)  As  a  social  reformer.  (3)  As  an  ethical  teacher.  (4)  As  a 
theologian. 

A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God, 

A  bulwark  never  failing; 
Our  Helper  He,  amid  the  flood 

Of  mortal  ills  prevailing. 
For  still  our  ancient  foe 
Doth  seek  to  work  us  woe; 
His  craft  and  power  are  great, 
And  armed  with  cruel  hate, 

On  earth  is  not  his  equal. 

And  though  this  world,  with  devils  filled, 

Should  threaten  to  undo  us; 
We  will  not  fear  for  God  hath  willed 

His  truth  to  triumph  through  us. 
Let  goods  and  kindred  go, 
This  mortal  life  also: 
The  body  they  may  kill; 
God's  truth  abideth  still, 

His  kingdom  is  for  ever. 

Martin  Luther, 
77 


XI.     THE    TRIUMPH   OF   ISAIAH'S    FAITH. 
Seventh  Day.    Isaiah's  Work  as  a  Prophet  of  Faith  in  God. 

(Continued.) 
"O  God  of  Israel,  God  of  Isaiah,  in  returning  to  Whom  and 
resting  upon  Whom  alone  we  are  saved,  purge  us  of  self  and  of 
the  pride  of  life,  of  the  fever  and  the  falsehood  they  breed. 
Teach  us  that  in  quietness  and  in  confidence  is  our  strength. 
Help  us  to  be  still  and  know  that  thou  art  God." 

REFERENCES. 

Sanders  and  Kent,  Messages  of  the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  103- 
108,  133-137,  165-169-  Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  151-158.  G.  A.  Smith,  Booh  of  Isaiah,  Vol.  I,  Book 
IV,  Chaps.  19-24. 


78 


STUDY   XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
First  Day.    The  Countryman  Prophet  of  Judah. 

1.  About  the  year  720  B.  C.  a  new  prophet  appeared  in  Judah. 
Amos  had  been  silent  thirty  years,  Hosea  fifteen,  while  Isaiah  was 
at  the  height  of  his  career.  What  was  his  title  and  during  whose 
reigns  did  he  prophesy?  Read  Micah  1:1,  and  compare  Jer. 
26:18.  His  family  was  doubtless  unimportant;  otherwise  his 
father's  name  would  have  been  mentioned.  Cf.  Is.  1:1.  Yet  it 
must  have  been  a  religious  family.  His  name  (Micah  being  a 
shorter  form  of  Micaiah)  means  "Who  is  like  Jehovah?"  Is.  8:18 
indicates  what  significance  such  a  name  possessed. 

2.  Where  did  Micah  live?  See  Micah  1:1  and  map.  His 
little  home  village  was  situated  about  seventeen  miles  west  of 
Tekoa,  where  Amos  had  guarded  his  sheep.  Moresheth  was  sep- 
arated from  the  wilderness  of  Tekoa  by  the  central  range  of 
Judean  hills.  Unlike  Amos'  country,  the  valley  in  which  Micah 
lived  was  fertile  and  attractive.  Crops  were  abundant,  and  there 
was  plentiful  herbage  for  cattle.  Moresheth  was  on  the  edge  of 
the  open  coast  plains,  not  far  from  the  Philistine  cities,  and  the 
dangers  of  warfare  were  rarely  absent.  Read  Kent,  History  of 
the  Hebrew  People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  134-140.  The  valley  at  the  en- 
trance to  which  Moresheth  stands  has  frequently  been  the  gate- 
way by  which  the  invading  armies  have  entered  Judah.  Already 
the  Assyrians  had  conquered  Northern  Israel,  and  had  approached 
to  the  northern  and  western  borders  of  Judah.  Could  this  petty 
state  hope  to  escape? 

3.  Little  is  known  of  the  personal  life  of  Micah ;  but  his  char- 
acter and  spirit  shine  clearly  through  his  work.  He  is  the  great 
champion  of  the  common  people.  Himself  a  peasant,  his  whole 
nature  revolted  against  the  unnatural  excesses  of  the  capital  city 
and  the  grinding  oppression  of  its  poor.  He  is  even  more  of  an 
ethical  teacher  than  his  contemporary,  Isaiah;  unlike  Isaiah,  he 
has  little  to  say  about  political  problems.  For  him  the  future 
promised  nothing  but  the  annihilation  of  the  capital  city  and 
temple.  He  suffers  in  common  with  those  whose  cause  he  up- 
holds. What  was  the  attitude  of  the  rulers  toward  him  and  his 
message?  Micah  2:6,  7.  Like  Amos,  he  was  a  fearless,  rugged, 
far-seeing  herald  of  judgment.  Nor  did  his  influence  pass  away 
at  his  death.  Cf.  Jer.  26:16.  It  lived  on  for  a  hundred  years 
to  inspire  others,  "a  beacon-light  to  check  the  vicious  and  cheer 
the  brave." 

79 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Second    Day.     The    Common   Fate    Awaiting   Israel   and 

Judah. 

1.  Micah's  fearless  nature  and  uncompromising  message  are 
best  set  forth  in  the  first  three  chapters  of  his  book.  At  first  the 
prophet  speaks.  Read  Micah  1 :2-4.  To  whom  are  his  words 
addressed?  With  what  purpose  are  they  uttered?  What  con- 
ception of  Jehovah  is  presented?  What  are  the  effects  of 
Jehovah's  visitation?  The  idea  of  Jehovah's  coming  in  the  storm 
was  a  common  one  in  Hebrew  literature.     Read  aloud  Ps.  29. 

2.  In  Micah  1 :5-7,  Jehovah  speaks.  How  does  vs.  5  combat 
the  popular  conception  that  the  Hebrews  were  Jehovah's  especial 
favorites?  What  central  doctrine  of  Amos  is  here  repeated? 
Samaria  and  Jerusalem,  the  capital  cities,  should  have  been  watch- 
towers  of  morality  and  religion  for  the  whole  country.  What  is 
the  condemnation  of  Samaria  ?     What  shall  be  her  fate  ? 

3.  In  Micah  1:5-7  occurs  an  abrupt  transition.  The  prophet 
is  speaking.  Note  how  the  coming  desolation  affects  him.  How 
far  he  is  from  rejoicing  in  it.  Micah's  action  is  symbolic. 
See  Is.  20:2.  "Such  exuberance  of  emotion  specially  char- 
acterizes the  Jews  and  Arabs;  it  reminds  us  of  the  Homeric 
heroes.  The  prophets  did  not  cease  to  be  men  when  they  re- 
ceived the  gift  of  inspiration.  Sometimes  they  seem  to  have  had 
a  kind  of  double  consciousness,  uniting  them  on  the  one  hand  with 
the  inspiring  Spirit,  and  on  the  other  with  their  much-loved 
people.  Hence  their  abrupt  transitions  from  stern  denunciation 
to  tender  compassion."     Cheyne,  Cambridge  Bible,  Micah. 

4.  Micah  now  foresees  the  approach  of  the  invader.  The 
hostile  army,  he  imagines,  is  to  come  through  his  own  beloved 
valley.  In  the  name  of  each  village  of  that  valley  he  finds  a  sug- 
gestion of  the  destruction  that  must  follow  Assyria's  advance. 
This  section  (vss.  10-16)  is  full  of  Hebrew  word-plays  which 
cannot  all  be  reproduced  in  English.  Vs.  10,  e.  g.,  has  thus  been 
translated : 

"Tell  it  not  in  Tell-town, — weep  not  in  Weep-town; 
In  House  of  Dust,  roll  thyself  in  dust." 

G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 

The  cities  are  described  in  the  order  in  which  they  would  most 
probably  be  captured  in  the  onward  march  of  the  conqueror.  The 
last  part  of  vs.  16  states  the  issue  of  the  conquest. 


80 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Third  Day.     Might   Does  Not  Make   Right. 

1.  Micah  has  expressed  with  profound  assurance  his  belief  in 
the  success  of  the  foreign  invasion  of  Palestine.  The  ground  for 
such  pessimism  is  not  difficult  to  discover.  For  Micah,  the  reason 
was  not  to  be  found  in  the  gaudy  fashions  of  the  city,  nor  the 
intrigues  of  the  court.  These  Isaiah  had  decried.  It  was  not  to 
be  found  in  the  prevalent  luxury,  idolatry  nor  vicious  sensual 
excess.  These  things  Amos  and  Hosea  had  attacked.  Nor  was 
the  reason  to  be  found  in  the  shifting  politics  of  the  day. 

2.  Micah  is  the  great  champion  of  the  poor.  Read  Micah 
2:1-2.  Here  he  attacks  the  greed  of  the  landed  proprietors. 
How  do  these  men  spend  their  nights  ?  Of  what  crimes  are  they 
guilty?  Does  not  the  real  injury  which  they  have  done  the  poor 
lie  in  the  fact  that  such  oppression  takes  away  from  men  not  only 
their  fields  and  their  houses,  but  also  their  independence  and  do- 
mestic contentment?  Read  the  prophet's  condemnation  in  2:3-5. 
What  does  he  say  will  happen  to  the  land?  The  loss  of  all  land 
wrongfully  acquired  hardly  seems  an  adequate  punishment,  but 
there  never  can  be  any  restitution  of  land  (vs.  5)  in  the  assembly 
of  Jehovah,  for  there  will  be  no  such  assembly  left. 

3.  The  rich  raise  their  protest.  "Stop  your  prophesying  re- 
proaches," they  say  in  vss.  6,  7.  "We  are  respectable  people; 
we  are  upright ;  God  can  do  no  harm  to  us."  Then  Micah  attacks 
their  clamor  of  selfish  glorification.  Read  vss.  8-10.  What  out- 
rages have  they  committed  against  peace-loving,  honest  men? 
What  against  women  and  children  ?  "The  land  is  no  resting  place 
for  you.     Your  sin  deserves  only  exile." 

4.  Read  the  noteworthy  comment  of  the  prophet  (vs.  11)  on 
the  lives  of  these  rich  landlords.  They  were  pleased  only  with 
that  prophetic  message  which  they  desired.  They  accepted  as 
divine  only  what  they  wished  to  hear.  Is  it  not  dangerous  for  a 
man  to  listen  only  to  what  pleases  him?  Flattery  and  success 
often  close  men's  eyes  and  ears  to  the  dictum  of  truth.  Frank 
criticism  is  a  spur  to  action. 


81 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Fourth  Day.     The  Greed  and  Guilt  of  Judah's  Leaders. 

1.  In  chapter  3  Micah  attacks  the  authorities  of  the  nation  for 
their  criminal  disregard  of  the  poor.  The  striking  contrast  be- 
tween this  sermon  and  the  preaching  of  the  false  prophets,  whose 
attitude  he  satirizes,  affords  a  true  picture  of  Micah's  character. 

2.  Read  Micah  3:1-4.  Vs.  1  suggests  what  the  people  had  a 
right  to  expect  from  their  rulers.  Cf .  Jer.  5  :4-5.  Misdeeds  re- 
sulting from  ignorance  are  sometimes  excusable;  sins  committed 
deliberately  and  involving  widespread  suffering  are  crimes 
that  defy  Heaven.  How  have  the  leaders  treated  the  poor? 
Vss.  2-4.  "While  Micah  spoke  he  had  wasted  lives  and  bent  backs 
before  him.  Pinched  peasant  faces  peer  between  all  his  words 
and  fill  the  ellipses.  And  among  the  living  poor  to-day,  are  there 
not  starved  and  bitter  faces — bodies  with  the  blood  sucked  from 
them,  with  the  divine  image  crushed  out  of  them?"  G.  A.  Smith, 
Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  The  suffering  of  the  French 
peasants  at  the  hands  of  the  rich  lords  before  the  Revolution,  the 
hideous  wrongs  done  to  the  Russian  peasants  in  our  own  day,  the 
thousands  of  toilers  in  our  great  cities  who  have  not  enough  to 
eat  or  to  wear,  the  bodies  of  young  children  pinched  and  dwarfed 
by  work  which  they  are  compelled  to  perform  at  an  unlawful  age, 
the  women  who  because  of  wretched  wages  are  foi'ced  to  prosti- 
tution in  order  to  stave  off  starvation — all  these  wrongs  burn  into 
one's  mind  a  sense  of  the  great  inequalities  which  have  blighted 
and  still  continue  to  blight  the  lives  of  our  fellow  creatures. 

3.  Furthermore,  this  system  in  Micah's  day  had  the  support  of 
the  hireling  prophets.  Read  3:5-8.  What  was  the  difference 
between  the  false  and  the  true  prophet?  Was  it  doctrinal  or 
moral  ?  What  was  the  motive  for  the  work  of  the  false  prophet  ? 
What  inevitable  result  overtakes  them?  Note  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  true  and  false  prophets  in  moral  discernment. 

4.  Woe  to  that  land  whose  prophets  are  hirelings !  Woe  to 
that  nation  whose  men  of  vision  are  in  league  with  vice !  Social 
injustice,  crimes  against  the  poor  and  the  helpless,  all  the  great 
inequalities  of  earth  which  cry  out  to  Almighty  God,  will  not  be 
done  away  until  the  men  of  this  generation,  the  men  of  education 
and  talent  and  faith  and  Godly  fear,  rise  up  together  to  wage 
fearless,  untiring  warfare  in  behalf  of  justice  and  right. 

"Man  am  I  grown,  a  man's  work  must  I  do, 
.     .     .     follow  the  Christ,  the  King, 
Live  pure,  speak  true,  right  wrong,  follow  the  King — 
Else,  wherefore  born.  Tennyson. 


82 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Fifth  Day.    The  Climax  and  Effect  of  Micah's  Preaching. 

1.  Read  Micah  3:9-12.  Notice  the  conspiracy  that  existed 
between  the  rulers  and  the  religious  leaders.  The  period  was  one 
of  great  outward  prosperity.  The  city  of  Jerusalem  was  larger 
than  ever  before.  But  with  what  price  was  it  being  built !  What 
is  the  general  condemnation  of  priests,  prophets  and  judges? 
What  false  confidence  did  they  all  arrogantly  display?  They 
were  putting  their  money,  thus  wrongfully  taken  from  the  poor, 
into  the  city  walls  and  into  the  temple.  What  moral  foundation 
had  they  laid  for  the  real  city?  Alas,  they  had  forgotten  the 
foundation ;  and  there  could  be  but  one  issue.  Micah  graphically 
sets  it  forth  in  vs.  12. 

2.  It  is  of  advantage  to  read  in  this  connection  a  similar  inci- 
dent in  the  life  of  Jeremiah,  whose  preaching  was  bitterly  opposed 
by  the  false  prophets.  Jer.  26  contains  the  account  of  this  appall- 
ing attack.  What  was  Jeremiah's  message  (vss.  1-6)  ;  what  con- 
spiracy did  the  prophets  and  princes  make  against  his  life  (vss. 
7-11);  how  did  Jeremiah  resist  them  (vss.  12-15);  with  what 
arguments  did  certain  elders  defend  him  (vss.  16-24)  ? 

3.  The  fearless  stand  which  these  two  prophets  made  against 
the  cowardly  rulers  of  their  age  is  both  a  challenge  and  inspira- 
tion to  all  men.  They  were  called  to  preach;  others  are  called 
to  work.  Some  are  called  to  fight;  others  are  called  to  pray. 
But  all  men  in  all  ages  and  in  all  nations  are  needed  to  live  and 
struggle  for  righteousness  and  truth,  and  to  bring  in  the  King- 
dom of  God.  One  of  the  greatest  dangers  of  this  country  is  that 
men  of  ability  will,  for  the  sake  of  selfish  peace,  adopt  an  attitude 
of  calm  indifference  or  half-hearted  opposition  to  the  great  moral 
and  social  evils  incident  to  our  civilization. 

"He  that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me;  and  he  that  gathereth 
not  with  me,  scatter eth."     Matt.  12:30. 


83 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Sixth  Day.     The  Prophetic  Definition  of  Religion. 

1.  Chapter  6  reports  the  second  trial  scene  in  the  book  of 
Micah.  In  chapter  1  the  Lord  had  appeared  as  the  judge  and 
executioner  of  punishment.  Before  the  court  of  the  nations  of 
the  earth,  the  Israelites  had  been  proved  guilty  and  deserving  of 
destruction.  In  chapter  6  there  is  a  complete  transition.  The 
prophet  is  God's  "plenipotentiary."  He  stands  before  the  court 
to  urge  Jehovah's  case  against  this  erring  people. 

2.  In  the  trial  scene  Jehovah  speaks,  Micah  6:1.  Who  are 
the  witnesses  ?  Cf .  Is.  1 :2.  The  eternal  hills  are  called  to 
listen,  "not  because  they  are  the  biggest  of  existences,  but  because 
they  are  the  most  full  of  memories  and  associations  with  both 
parties  to  the  trial."  G.  A.  Smith,  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets. 
Then  the  prophet  summons  the  witnesses,  vs.  2.  Note  the  ma- 
jestic solemnity  of  the  language.  Before  this  court  of  Nature, 
Jehovah  pleads  with  His  people.  Read  vss.  3-5.  What  a  won- 
derful appeal  to  the  childhood  of  Israel!  Recall  the  barriers  of 
superstition,  formality,  ritualism,  unreality,  that  had  kept  God 
aloof  from  men.  In  the  prophetic  conception  of  religion,  God  is 
near;  He  speaks  with,  nay,  He  even  pleads  with,  His  people. 
"Religion  is  not  a  thing  of  authority  nor  of  ceremonial,  nor  of 
mere  feeling,  but  of  argument,  reasonable  pi'esentation  and  de- 
bate." To  what  experiences  does  Jehovah  appeal?  What  effect 
ought  such  tenderness  to  have  had  upon  the  people  ? 

3.  Jehovah's  mercy  and  love  arouse  the  emotion  long  hidden 
away.  Israel  asks  a  pitiful  question,  vss.  6,  7.  He  has  tried  to  obey 
the  law,  but  he  has  not  known  how.  Here  are  portrayed  earnest 
seekers  after  God  who  have  lost  their  way  and  are  weary.  Note 
the  extravagance  of  the  offerings  which  Israel  thinks  will  please 
Jehovah. 

4«  "  He  hath  shown  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good; 

And  what  doth  Jehovah  require  of  thee, 
But  to  act  justly  and  to  love  mercy 
And  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God." 

Micah  6:8. 

This  is  the  prophet's  answer  to  the  sincere  desire  of  the  people. 
It  is  his  definition  of  religion.  "To  the  people,  God  was  an 
unlimited  despot,  ruling  arbitrarily,  whose  wrath,  temper,  blood- 
thirst,  must  be  propitiated  with  costly  gifts,  and  with  the  offering 
of  one's  self  or  of  one's  dearest  possession.  Micah  does  not  com- 
promise with  this  conception  or  attempt  to  modify  it;  he  sweeps 
it  away.  Jehovah  is  a  moral  being,  and  he  demands  a  moral 
offering  from  the  heart  of  his  worshippers."  Duhm,  Theology 
of  the  Prophets. 

84 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Seventh  Day.     Contrasting  Light  and  Shadow. 

1.  Thus  far,  the  prophet  has  predicted  the  destruction  of 
Israel,  of  Jerusalem  and  the  temple  of  Jehovah.  He  has  also 
made  clear  his  belief  in  a  coming  national  destruction.  Review 
briefly  the  reasons  for  his  early  denunciatory  sermons  (First  to 
Fifth  Days). 

2.  In  Micah  6:9;  7:20  we  have  the  most  abrupt  changes  in 
style  and  thought.  The  background  is  probably  the  reactionary 
reign  of  Manasseh.  Cf.  II  Kings  20:2-6,  16.  In  Micah  6:9-1 6 
Jehovah  through  His  prophet  pours  forth  His  complaint  against 
the  city.  How  would  you  describe  the  sin  here  attacked?  What 
punishments  are  threatened?  The  people  are  ruled  by  the 
cowardly,  selfish  ambition  of  the  House  of  Omri,  which  ended  in 
death.  In  chapter  7:1-6  the  city  herself,  or  possibly  only  her 
enlightened  conscience,  the  prophet,  laments  over  her  sins. 
Righteous  citizens  were  no  more;  there  was  no  longer  trust, 
friendliness,  public  faith.  The  poison  which  had  affected  the 
rich  landlords  and  hireling  prophets  (chaps.  1-3)  has  now  eaten 
its  way  into  the  body  politic.  Its  result  is  widespread  sham  and 
knavery.  The  passion  to  become  rich  and  the  pitiless  rivalry 
and  competition  consequent,  had  developed  in  Israel  a  thoroughly 
corrupt  system  of  trickery  and  a  criminal  disregard  for  the  rights 
of  the  common  people. 

3.  There  is  this  same  grave  danger  in  our  national  life  to-day. 
The  prevalent  desire  "to  get  rich"  without  honest  effort  has  led  not 
only  to  false  advertisements  and  cheap  productions,  but  employers 
who  demand  the  greatest  amount  of  labor  for  the  least  possible 
wages  and  workmen  who  desire  to  secure  the  greatest  amount  of 
wages  for  the  least  amount  of  work.  It  has  led  producers  to  feel 
that  their  obligation  to  their  employees  ceases  when  the  weekly 
wage  is  paid ;  it  has  caused  workmen  to  feel  that  their  obligation  to 
their  employers  ceases  when  the  factory  closes  at  night.  Is  there 
no  corrective  for  this  widespread  misunderstanding?  Micah  has 
but  one  solution;  Jesus  had  but  one  solution.  It  is  contained  in 
Micah  6:8  and  in  Matt.  7:12.  It  is  a  solution  in  which  all  men 
have  a  share.  It  demands  that  every  employer  shall  help  his 
employee  to  develop  his  body,  mind,  soul,  family;  it  means  that 
every  workman  shall  earn  by  industry  and  fidelity  the  necessary 
wage;  it  demands  that  the  great  body  of  the  consuming  public 
shall  pay  an  adequate  price  for  all  productions.  Will  such  a 
day  ever  come? 

4.  The  prophets  thought  it  would.     Micah  7 :7'20. 


85 


XII.     MICAH'S    REFORM    SERMONS. 
Seventh  Day.     Contrasting  Light  and  Shadow.     (Cont'd.) 

"I  will  look  unto  Jehovah; 
I  will  wait  for  the  God  of  my  salvation. 
He  will  again  have  compassion  upon  us; 
He  will  tread  our  iniquities  under  foot; 
And  thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the  depth  of  the  sea." 

REFERENCES. 

G.  A.  Smith,  Booh  of  the  Twelve  Prophets,  Chaps.  25,  26,  29, 
30.  Micah,  in  Cambridge  Bible.  Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew 
People,  Vol.  II,  pp.  134-140.  Kent  and  Sanders,  Messages  of 
the  Earlier  Prophets,  pp.  Ill  ff. 


86 


STUDY  XIII.     THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 
First  Day.     The  Early  Life  of  the  Prophets. 

1.  In  reviewing  the  life  and  teachings  of  these  earliest  He- 
brew prophets,  who  poured  out  their  lives'  best  strength  that 
through  them  God  might  shape  the  destinies  of  their  nation,  it  is 
natural  to  consider  their  work  as  a  whole  and  to  dwell  upon  those 
sterling  qualities  which  they  possessed  in  common. 

2.  Unfortunately  little  is  recorded  of  their  childhood  or  edu- 
cation. The  result  of  their  labors  is  all  that  history  has  be- 
queathed to  us.  "By  their  fruits  we  know  them."  But  alas,  the 
judgment  of  men  is  too  often  based  upon  the  fruits.  Too  little 
do  we  think  of  the  seed,  the  soil,  the  sun,  and  the  gentle  showers. 
As  you  recall  the  work  of  these  early  men,  do  you  think  that 
their  tasks  came  to  them  by  chance  or  by  undeserved  recognition? 
God  does  not  thus  bestow  his  commissions  and  gifts.  Does  not 
the  pioneer  work  of  Moses  pre-suppose  a  training  in  the  essential 
qualities  of  leadership  ?  Does  not  the  language  of  Amos  reveal 
the  hours  of  hidden  toil  among  the  beasts  of  the  desert  and  under 
the  stars  of  the  heavens?  Does  not  the  lofty  purpose  revealed 
at  the  beginning  of  Isaiah's  ministry  suggest  preceding  years  of 
faith  and  confidence  in  Almighty  God?  These  results  were  not 
the  work  of  chance.  They  were  the  certain  fruition  of  seed  in- 
telligently planted  and  of  husbandry  faithfully  performed.  It  is 
in  the  great  school  of  experience  that  God  trains  the  men  whom 
he  commissions  to  be  His  prophets. 

3.  Great  men  are  not  created  miraculously  in  a  moment.  They 
are  the  result  of  growth.  Whether  it  is  an  Amos,  plodding  his 
rough  way  with  shepherd's  crook  over  the  Tekoan  hills ;  or  a 
Lincoln,  poring  over  his  books  by  the  flickering  light  of  a  pine 
knot,  the  final  product — the  man  who  achieves — is  but  the  "far 
off  interest  of  years." 

4.  These  men  waited  and  prepared  for  their  great  commission, 
not  in  idleness,  nor  yet  in  vain  striving;  patiently,  faithfully, 
prayerfully,  obediently,  they  toiled  and  thus  they  grew.  And 
one  day  their  call  rang  true  and  clear,  their  hour  came,  and  they 
emerged  from  obscurity  into  the  light. 


87 


XIII.     THE    CHARACTER    OF   THE    PROPHETS. 
Second  Day.     The  Call  of  the  Prophets. 

1.  To  the  mind  of  the  prophet,  his  call,  when  he  recited  his 
experience  or  recorded  it  in  writing  for  his  disciples,  was  an 
event  of  tremendous  moment.  It  was  both  a  goal  and  a  starting 
point.  Here  his  hidden  life  ended;  here  his  public  life  began. 
The  call  looked  backward  to  the  days  of  preparation  which  had 
made  it  possible;  it  looked  forward  to  the  days  of  activity  which 
brought  it  into  being.  It  was  a  clear,  unmistakable  experience,  a 
challenge  from  the  Almighty  to  work  for  Him — a  challenge  which 
was  accepted  in  the  spirit  of  courage  and  sublime  devotion. 

2.  Review  the  circumstances  of  Moses'  call  (Study  I.,  First 
day).  How  do  you  account  for  the  calls  of  Amos  and  Micah? 
Note  the  similarity.  How  did  the  call  of  Hosea  differ  from  that 
of  Isaiah?  Although  the  forms  of  the  various  calls  were  usually 
different,  in  what  two  fundamental  respects  were  they  all  alike  ? 

3.  The  early  training  in  ethics  and  religion  had  made  all 
these  prophets  keenly  sensitive  to  the  existence  of  evil,  and  to  the 
character  of  God.  The  discrepancy  between  conditions  as  they 
were  in  Israel  and  conditions  as  they  ought  to  have  been,  accord- 
ing to  the  standards  of  heaven,  constituted  a  mighty  challenge 
to  the  energy  and  faith  of  any  man  who  was  zealous  for  right- 
eousness and  for  God.  There  were  three  ways  in  which  the 
people  of  Israel  regarded  this  discrepancy.  Some  turned  their 
backs  upon  the  piteous  appeals  of  the  oppressed,  the  hideous 
immorality  of  priests,  princes  and  common  people.  Indifference 
was  one  way.  Some  faced  the  situation  as  men  face  an  insuper- 
able stone  wall.  They  felt  that  they  could  neither  climb  it  nor 
penetrate  it.  They  therefore  gave  the  case  up  as  hopeless.  There 
were  still  others,  of  whom  the  prophets  are  the  most  conspicuous 
examples,  who  had  too  quick  a  conscience  and  too  vital  a 
faith  to  be  either  indifferent  or  hopeless.  When  the  call  came 
to  them  to  face  the  facts  squarely  and  to  solve  all  disturbing 
political,  social  and  moral  questions  with  sanity  and  godly  fear, 
the  prophets  accepted  that  call  as  a  great  responsibility  and  a 
supreme  opportunity  to  serve  God.  To  their  country  and  to  their 
God  they  devoted  themselves,  therefore,  with  all  their  God-given 
faculties  of  body,  mind  and  heart. 

4.  Review  briefly  the  different  elements  that  entered  into  the 
call  of  every  prophet. 


XIII.  THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 
Third  Day.  The  Manner  in  Which  the  Prophets  Learned 
Their  Message, 
i.  None  of  the  prophets,  who  have  been  considered  in  these 
studies  delivered  their  entire  message  in  one  sermon.  Nor  was 
the  theme  of  every  sermon  the  same.  Conditions  changed  rapidly 
in  Israel ;  new  forms  of  old  sins  developed ;  new  crimes  called  for 
different  remedies.  No  one  should  suppose  that  the  prophet  whose 
keen  eyes  could  detect  the  appearance  of  every  new  inclination, 
national  and  individual,  would  stand  still  or  utter  over  and  over 
the  same  identical  message.  The  prophets  were  learning  their 
message  every  day  that  they  lived;  and  the  message  of  their 
riper  years  was  a  far  maturer  message  than  that  of  their  early 
days.  Their  messages  differed  widely  in  form  from  each  other, 
and  yet  there  was  a  wonderful  similarity  in  the  basic  principles. 

2.  Where  did  Moses  learn  his  message?  In  what  environment 
did  Amos  begin  his  critical  analysis  of  the  cruel  oppression  of 
the  rich?  What  was  there  in  his  environment  to  account  for 
the  severity  of  his  denunciations?  Hosea  learned  his  power  of 
convicting  truth  in  a  very  different  way.  What  experiences  lay 
back  of  his  message?  Isaiah's  special  training  which  furnished 
him  his  ability  and  persuasiveness  came  through  his  intimate 
connection  with  court  life.  But  what  other  fundamental  experi- 
ences made  it  possible  for  him  to  stand  as  a  peer  among  his 
fellows  ?     Read  again  the  account  of  the  call  in  the  temple. 

3.  Gather  up  the  results  of  your  investigation  in  this  day's 
study.  Do  you  think  there  was  anything  so  unique  in  the  source 
of  the  prophet's  message  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  men  of  our 
day  to  attempt  to  draw  from  similar  sources  ? 

4.  In  every  generation  there  are  men  whose  words  burn  and 
throb  with  a  divine  power.  In  times  of  danger,  others  rally 
round  them;  in  times  of  sorrow,  others  draw  consolation  from 
their  sympathy  and  faith;  in  great  crises,  others  profit  by  their 
wise  counsel  and  direction.  These  are  the  prophets,  the  men 
with  a  message  that  calms  and  steadies,  that  inspires  and  em- 
powers. Where  do  such  men  get  their  message?  Surely  not 
from  the  animal  instincts  within  them,  for  the  message  is  noble 
and  unselfish;  not  from  the  earth,  for  it  is  greater  than  all  the 
visible  world.  Rather  from  God  Himself, — rather  from  that 
within  ourselves  which  is  divine,  under  the  daily  contact  with  the 
source  of  all  things,  the  Giver  of  Light  and  Life. 


89 


XIII.     THE    CHARACTER    OF   THE    PROPHETS. 
Fourth  Day.     The  Qualifications  of  the  Prophets. 

1.  The  prophets  were  not  vain  dreamers.  They  were  neither 
the  sentimental  advocates  of  a  Utopian  world  order,  nor  im- 
practical agitators  for  social  disintegration.  Nor  did  they  belong 
to  that  class  of  men  who  are  blind  to  all  imperfections  in  exist- 
ing institutions,  and  who  refuse  to  tolerate  the  vision  of  the  ideal 
either  in  themselves  or  in  society.  Rather  they  were  realists  in 
their  keen  analysis  of  existing  conditions  and  yet  idealists  in 
their  vision  of  what  ought  and  what  ultimately  is  destined  to  be. 

2.  The  prophets  were  men  whose  ears  never  grew  heavy, 
whose  eyes  never  grew  dim,  whose  hearts  never  grew  calloused. 
Rather  their  minds  were  ever  open  and  alert  for  the  divine  com- 
mand. They  were  what  the  popular  priests  and  princes  had  re- 
fused to  be.  Education  sharpened  their  perception;  contact  with 
criminal  neglect  only  stimulated  their  conscience.  They  were 
men  of  their  own  day;  but  they  had  such  a  true  sense  of  per- 
spective that  they  never  forgot  the  relations  of  the  events  of 
their  day  to  the  past  and  to  the  future. 

3.  The  prophets  were  true  statesmen.  What  qualities  are 
essential  to  true  statesmanship?  Answer  this  question  by  re- 
viewing Nathan's  activity  at  the  court  of  David  (Study  I.,  Third 
Day)  ;  Amos'  analysis  of  Israel's  sinful  civilization  and  the  dan- 
gers which  impended  (Study  II.,  Sixth  Day)  ;  Isaiah's  sermons 
in  the  crisis  of  701  B.  C.  (Study  XL,  First  Day). 

4.  The  prophets  were,  without  exception,  men  of  calm,  un- 
flinching courage.  Often  they  were  discouraged  but  never 
daunted.  Theirs  was  the  heroism  that  did  all  that  human  activity 
could  do,  and  then  calmly  left  the  outcome  to  God. 

5.  The  prophets  were  men  of  great  moral  calibre.  They  not 
only  examined  the  situation ;  they  pierced  through  it  with  accurate 
analysis,  separating  the  wholesome  from  the  diseased.  They 
were  men  of  noble  consecration.  They  were  faithful  not  only  in 
moments  of  ecstasy;  they  were  true  to  God  and  to  men  in  the 
hours  of  desolation  and  the  days  of  strife.  They  knew  how 
to  be  brave  in  peace  as  well  as  in  war.  They  were  men  who  moved 
among  their  fellows  with  untiring  patience  and  persistence. 
But  most  of  all,  the  prophets  held  in  their  hands  the  compass 
which  alone  could  guide  the  nation  into  the  harbor  of  God's  peace 
and  prosperity.  Back  of  all  their  noble  efforts  was  an  absolute 
conviction  based  on  their  clear  vision  of  God  and  truth. 


90 


XIII.     THE    CHARACTER    OF   THE    PROPHETS. 
Fifth  Day.     The  Methods  of  the  Prophets. 

1.  The  methods  which  the  prophets  employed  to  impress  their 
messages  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  as  varied  as  the 
exigencies  which  they  had  to  face.  They  never  sought  to  save 
themselves  from  gossip  or  ridicule,  if  through  any  means  which 
they  could  employ  they  might  stem  the  tide  of  social  oppression 
or  political  blundering. 

2.  The  method  most  commonly  used  was  that  of  public  ad- 
dress. Review  Amos'  Bethel  sermons,  noting  once  more  the  tact 
with  which  he  gained  the  attention  of  the  people  (Study  II., 
Fourth  and  Fifth  Days).  But  there  were  other  methods,  some 
of  which  were  concrete  and  exceedingly  dramatic.  Recall 
Hosea's  method  set  forth  in  Study  V.,  Third  Day.  What  three 
different  methods  did  Isaiah  employ  as  discussed  in  his  dealings 
with  Ahaz  (Study  X.,  Second  to  Fourth  Days)?  What  object 
lesson  at  the  crisis  of  711  B.  C.  (Study  X.,  Sixth  Day)  ?  Begin- 
ning with  Amos,  the  first  to  commit  his  sermons  to  writing,  all  the 
remaining  prophets  of  importance  in  Hebrew  history  have  left  us 
literary  records  of  their  work  and  teachings. 

3.  The  prophetic  insight  of  these  heralds  of  God  is  hardly 
more  wonderful  than  the  rare  skill  and  effectiveness  with  which 
they  presented  their  truth.  If  their  methods  were  varied,  they 
were  also  adapted  to  producing  a  unified  effect.  If  they  were 
clever,  they  were  equally  honest.  If  they  were  dramatic,  they 
were  also  sincere.  However  undignified — as  we  of  the  twentieth 
century  define  dignity — the  prophets  may  have  been,  however 
much  they  kept  themselves  and  their  advice  in  the  public  mind, 
they  never  appear  to  be  on  parade  or  to  be  talking  merely  to 
create  a  sensation.  The  qualities  which  always  gave  them  poise 
were  their  terrible  earnestness,  their  undisputed  consecration  and 
their  absolute  sincerity.  Allegiance  to  God  and  to  His  King- 
dom— that  was  the  one  mighty  motive  of  their  lives.  Is  it 
strange  that  in  the  end  they  commanded  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  men? 

"I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord:  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss 
of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  refuse,  that  I  may  gain 
Christ,  and  be  found  in  Him,  not  having  a  righteousness  of  my 
own,  even  that  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through 
faith  in  Christ*/  the  righteousness  which  is  from  God  by  faith." 
Phil.  3:8,9- 


91! 


XIII.     THE    CHARACTER   OF   THE   PROPHETS. 
Sixth  Day.    The  Aims  of  the  Prophets. 

1.  The  ultimate  aims  of  the  prophets  were  in  general  the 
same.  Whatever  fundamental  difference  existed  was  due  to  the 
different  crises  which  they  met,  and  their  own  varying  apprehen- 
sion of  the  character  and  purpose  of  God  in  the  world.  But  the 
immediate  aims  of  the  prophets  were  as  individual  as  the  men 
themselves.  These  varied  with  their  own  personal  equation,  and 
with  the  needs  of  the  particular  age  which  called  forth  their 
prophetic  utterances. 

2.  It  is  not  possible  to  assert  that  each  prophet  had  one 
purpose  and  only  one,  and  yet  for  the  sake  of  convenience  in 
remembering  the  essential  aim  of  their  messages,  it  is  advisable 
to  try  to  formulate  the  central  purpose  of  each.  To  Amos,  God 
was  pre-eminently  a  righteous  God.  Righteousness,  not  worship, 
was  essential  in  the  body  politic.  Amos'  great  purpose  was  to 
proclaim  the  doctrine  of  Israel's  responsibility  to  this  God  of 
righteousness.  Hosea,  in  a  very  different  manner,  plead  with 
his  nation  on  the  basis  of  God's  love.  To  turn  people  from  their 
sins  by  portraying  the  passionate  love  of  God,  to  proclaim  de- 
struction only  as  a  last  resort,  when  God's  mercy  had  been  for- 
ever spurned  by  unrepentant  Israel,  that  was  Hosea's  message. 
Isaiah  was  interested  in  the  state.  His  great  purpose  was  to 
impress  his  countrymen  with  the  fact  that  God  was  over  all,  that 
the  nation  should  preserve  itself  inviolate  from  foreign  alliances 
and  social  destruction,  and  have  faith  in  God.  Micah  was  the 
bitter  opponent  of  the  landed  proprietors  in  their  oppression  of 
the  poor.  The  destruction  of  the  aristocrats  and  the  capital  city 
was  imminent  and  necessary,  he  declared,  unless  there  was  a 
fundamental  reform  in  the  character  and  attitude  of  Judah's 
leaders. 

3.  The  teachings  of  the  prophets  were  not  primarily  doc- 
trinal, but  ethical.  They  contemplated  actual  human  needs  and 
were  based  on  real  conditions.  Formality  and  tradition  are  mean- 
ingless, said  the  prophets,  apart  from  sincere  and  righteous  liv- 
ing. To  make  vital  the  truth  of  God's  supremacy,  to  lead  men 
to  acknowledge  allegiance  to  Flim,  and  to  impel  them  to  discharge 
their  obligations  to  their  fellow  men — this  was  the  purpose  which 
every  prophet  agonized  to  realize. 

"The  hour  cometh  and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshippers  shall 
worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth:  for  such  doth  the 
Father  seek  to  be  his  worshippers."     John  4:23. 


92 


B.C 

940 

920 


900 
880 
860 
840 
820 
800 
780 
760 
740 
720 
700 
680 
660 
640 
620 

600 

580 
560 


li.c 

940 


DAMASCUS  ASSYRIA 


020 
900 
SMI 
SCO 
S40 
820 
S00 
7. so 
700 
7ln 
720 
700 
OsO 
000 
640 
020 
000 
580 
500 


Nil.  .11 

11  ia.h.1 


' '  ■  i  .mi  II 
Shusheuk  ir 


Slinsl  -iik  III 


TRIBUTE     TO     HA 


Shus  -iik  IV 


Tlglatjj  £.)ar  n 
Ashtiru  ^Irpal  n 


iff 


Sham  lil-AilaU 


—      1         f   FINAL   *CQ*ttUEST  "3U 


]'.,..■.  in, i  L- 

Slia  iako 


MTY    OF     ISRAEL    72  1 


CAMPAIGN     AGAINST    ASHDOD    711     5a 


GREAT      REFORMATION      OF      JOSIAH      621 


BABYLONIA 


y: 


CONQUEST   OF    JUDAM    EY    NEBUCHADREZZAR   ABOUT  600 


DESTRUCTION    OF   JERUSAL 


NEBUCHADREZZAR 


HLRREW  AMI  CONTEMPORARY  CHRONOLOGY  FROM  THE  DIVISION  OF  THE  HEBREW  EMI'IRE  TO  THE  IIAItYLONIAN  EXILE 


XIII.     THE    CHARACTER    OF   THE    PROPHETS. 
Seventh  Day.     The  Eternal  Need  of  Prophets. 

1.  The  world  cries  out  for  men  who  have  faith.  Said  Carlyle, 
"Belief  is  great,  life-giving.  The  history  of  a  nation  becomes 
fruitful,  soul-elevating,  great,  as  soon  as  it  believes. 

The  great  man  was  always  as  lightning  out  of  heaven;  the  rest 
of  men  waited  for  him  like  fuel,  and  then  they,  too,  would 
flame."  The  world  will  continue  to  need  prophets  as  long  as 
man  is  what  he  is.  Past  crises  have  called  them  forth;  coming 
crises  will  demand  them. 

2.  Whence  will  they  come?  Who  will  they  be?  What  will 
be  their  message  ?  Only  the  future  can  answer  these  questions ; 
but  the  thoughtful  student  of  the  prophets  of  Israel  can  be  sure 
of  certain  conclusions.  The  prophets  of  to-day  and  to-mori-ow 
must  be  men  of  the  hour,  men  of  heart  and  soul  and  vitality. 
They  must  be  men  whose  bodies  have  never  been  vitiated  by  ex- 
cess, whose  minds  are  not  paralyzed  with  impure  or  indifferent 
thinking,  whose  hearts  have  not  ceased  to  beat  in  sympathy  with 
humankind,  whose  souls  have  not  grown  callous  to  the  touch  of 
God.  They  must  be  men  of  vigor,  of  dauntless  courage,  of  sound 
intellect,  of  sterling  integrity,  of  noble  mercy,  of  Godly  fear. 
They  must  be  men  who  can  see  through  sham  and  hypocrisy  and 
trickery,  who  love  the  good  and  hate  the  evil,  who  know  the  right 
and  always  do  it. 

3.  Who  will  these  men  be?  The  young  men  of  to-day.  To- 
day is  their  preparation;  to-morrow  their  call.  To-day  the  hid- 
den years;  to-morrow  the  active  struggle.  In  the  coming  years 
the  foundations  will  be  revealed,  the  secret  thoughts  made 
known.  These  prophets  of  the  future, — what  are  you  bequeath- 
ing to  them?  That  leader  of  to-morrow  is  perhaps  your  older 
self.  What  are  you  doing  for  him?  His  work  and  his  message 
is  in  your  hands  to  shape.  Are  you  making  it  possible  for  him 
to  be  a  prophet  ?  It  may  be  that  you  are  killing  your  future  self ; 
perhaps  you  are  fostering  an  Isaiah. 

God  of  the  prophets,  Father  of  Israel,  King  of  our  Nation, 
Mighty  Leader  of  us  all  to-day,  help  us  to  praise  Thee  by  our  lives 
for  Thine  unchanging  love.  Be  Thou  our  goal  and  our  mighty 
helper ;  our  rock  and  our  sure  foundation.  In  love  and  confidence, 
in  calm  judgment  and  in  sober  mercy,  in  earnestness  and  in  untir- 
ing work,  help  us  to  possess  our  souls.  Strengthen  us  to  do  Thy 
will  fearlessly  and  unerringly,  through  the  power  of  Him  who 
alone  can  make  us  what  we  ought  to  be.    Amen. 


93 


Bible  Study  Courses,  Advanced 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ,    E.  1.  Bosworth.      Cloth, 
90  cents ;  paper,  60  cents. 
Detailed  studies  in  the  Gospels  of  Mark  and  John,  with  general  sur- 
veys of  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Luke. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.     H.  B.  Sharman. 

Based  on  "A  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,"  by  Stevens  and  Burton,  and 
arranged  for  daily  study.  Studies  with  Harmony  in  cloth,  $1.25.  Studies 
with  Harmony  in  paper,  75  cents.  Studies  in  cloth,  75  cents.  Harmony 
in  cloth,  $1.00.    The  books  in  paper  not  sold  separately. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus.      W.  H.  Sallmon.      Cloth,  40 
cents;  paper,  25  cents. 
Outlines  in  twenty-five  lessons  for  a  historical  study  of  Christ's  life 
with,  emphasis  upon  His  character  as  a  living  reality. 

Studies  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles.    E.  T.  Boszuorth. 

Based  on  "The  Records  and  Letters  of  the  Apostolic  Age,"  by  Ernest 
Dewitt  Burton.  Studies  with  Records  in  cloth,  $1.25.  Studies  with 
Records  in  paper,  75  cents.  Studies  in  cloth,  75  cents.  Records  in  cloth, 
#1.00.    The  books  in  paper  not  sold  separately. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Paul.      W.  H.  Sallmon.      Cloth,  40 
cents  ;  paper,  25  cents. 
Twenty-four  lessons  emphasizing  the  personality  of  the  great  apostle, 
dealing  with  his  characteristics  as  a  student,  missionary,  hero,  etc. 

Studies  in  Old  Testament  Characters.    W.  W.  White.    Cloth, 
90  cents  ;  paper,  60  cents. 
A  revised  edition  of  this  standard  book,  based  on  the  same  outline, 
but  requiring  less  work  of  the  student  than  the  previous  edition. 

Leaders  of  Israel.     G.  L.  Robinson.     Cloth,  75  cents;  paper, 
50  cents. 
Twenty-five  studies  portraying  the  character  of  Israel's  leaders  and 
the  history  of  the  chosen  people  from  the  time  of  Abraham  to  Christ. 

Work   and  Teaching   of  the  Earlier  Prophets.      C.  F.  Kent 
and  R.  S.  Smith.     Cloth,  60  cents  ;  paper,  40  cents. 
These  studies  provide  work  for  thirteen  weeks  and  furnish  especially 
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Studies   in   the  Teaching   of  Jesus   and  His  Apostles.      E.  I. 
Boszvorih.     Cloth,  75  cents;  paper,  50  cents. 
A  stimulating  topical  course  on  New  Testament  teachings. 

The    Truth    of    the    Apostolic    Gospel.      R.    A.    Falco?ier. 
Cloth,  75  cents;  paper,  50  cents. 
The  studies  will  be  found  very  helpful  to  the  understanding  of  and 
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Social  Teachings  of  Jesus.     /.    W.  Jenks.      Cloth,  75  cents ; 

paper,  50  cents. 
A  twelve-weeks'  course  of  Bible  study,  considering  the  Man  Jesus' 
I       attitude  toward  the  leading  social  questions  of  to-day. 


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